Inverse optimality results for the attitude motion of a rigid spacecraft

We present an approach for constructing optimal feedback control laws for optimal regulation of a rotating rigid spacecraft. We employ the inverse optimal control approach which circumvents the task of solving a Hamilton-Jacobi equation and results in a controller optimal with respect to a meaningful cost functional. The design reported in the paper is the first optimal control design for attitude regulation of the complete, nonlinear system, which includes a penalty on the angular velocity, orientation and the control torque.