Use of Electromagnetic Models in the Optimal Control of Large Space Antennas

A general approach to the optimal control of large space antennas based on their RF/structural characteristics is described. The approach consists of defining a cost functional based on the degradation of the RF performance of the antenna and using the structural model as the dynamic system. The method is applied to the design of an optimal controller for a 55-m, wraprib offset-fed antenna. Simulation results show that control energy consumption is reduced to approximately one third of the energy used to achieve the same RF performance with traditional control strategies.