1-Axis Spacecraft Attitude Control: PD Design with Reaction Wheel Saturation

Abstract

Spacecraft orientation needs to be controlled in everyday life, as it affects the technology that many people use today. A basic yet efficient method for single-axis control utilizes reaction wheels and PD controllers. We simulate the actuator and spacecraft dynamics and the saturation effect with a Runge-Kutta integrator. Then use a grid search to optimize PD gains in terms of settling time, overshoot, and torque requirement. Comparisons show that optimal gains have faster responses and much lower control effort while ensuring system stability, and the root locus and time-domain analysis verify these results. The simulation framework is modular and extensible, making it possible to extend it in the future to multi-axis control and more complex strategies.