Rotation matrix-based finite-time attitude coordinated control for spacecraft

Abstract This paper concerns the problem of robust finite-time coordinated tracking control for spacecraft formation flying (SFF) exposed to external disturbances. An attitude controller is synthesized by the utilization of terminal sliding mode (TSM) technology and adaptive laws, where a novel sliding mode surface (SMS) has been developed for ensuring finite-time convergence. In the proposed method, rotation matrix is exploited to describe the attitude of SFF for the purpose of avoiding singularity and unwinding phenomenon. Compared with the existing methods focusing on the unwinding phenomenon, finite-time convergence is obtained for entire SFF system. The effectiveness and validity of the proposed method will be elaborated via theoretical analysis and numerical simulations.