Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics

Modern spacecraft attitude stabilization systems have a deceptively simple purpose: to make a satellite point in the right direction. Yet designing such systems is an enormously complex task - one that requires describing the satellite's orientation, predicting the effects of external influences, and making use of these influences, or neutralizing them to achieve the desired pointing performance. This text/reference offers engineers a comprehensive guide to the analysis and application of modern spacecraft attitude dynamics. From its roots in classical mechanics and reliance on stability theory, to the evolution of practical stabilization ideas over the past quarter of a century, Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics treats all aspects of the subject in a unified and coherent manner.