Design of an adaptive balancing scheme for the Small Satellite Attitude Control Simulator (SSACS)

his thesis proposes a new type of control system based on inertia tensor control instead of applied external moments. This system will replace required ballasting mass with movable mass actuators to balance a system to provide more realistic earth-based tests for space systems by negating the effects of gravity. Since mass properties of the system are important, ways of determining the mass moment of inertia tensor are also studied.;A three-axis adaptive mass movement balancer is designed for the SSACS. If external torques are used, this controller can balance a system in three axes by moving three pairs of movable masses (MMAs) to cancel the required external torque. If the MMAs alone are used, the system can be balanced in two axes through inertia tensor and center of mass manipulation. This controller can offset an imbalance of...