Dynamics of Spacecraft and Manipulators

Abstract

The status and some recent developments of dynamic analysis and simulation of spacecraft and manipulators are summa rized. Discussion focuses on a number of aspects: common methods for the rigid body analyses of spacecraft and manipulations; how one of these methods could be extended to include constrained systems and flexible bodies; the trend in multi-body analysis from the hand-derived, purpose-built algorithms to generic algorithms and finally to symbolic code generators; research directions in structural flexibility, coupling dynamics, order-n algorithms and other areas such as contact dynamics. Also, different approaches for generating dynami cal equations are illustrated and compari sons made between them. How dynamical equations could be developed for constrained systems is demonstrated. Lastly, effect and consequences of using the Euler-Bernoulli theory to represent a beam is discussed and an illustration of how a more rigorous beam theory could be incorporated into the dynamical equations is given.