An experiment demonstrating pointing control on a flexible structure

An experiment called the jitter beam simulates the interaction of a pointing control system and a flexible structure. Noncolocation of a sensor and an actuator makes control difficult. A linear-quadratic-Gaussian design overcomes the noncolocation problem by use of a dynamic model that includes structural bending. The capability to deal with noncolocation enables the jitter-beam control to coordinate, with a single torquer, the motions of several points on the structure to achieve the pointing goal. The significant achievement of the experiment is the practical demonstration of a control bandwidth two times higher than a critical bending frequency, a factor of ten beyond what a rigid-body design can achieve.<>