Nonlinear Characteristic Model–Based SMC and Its Application to Flexible Satellites

Abstract This study investigates the sliding mode control (SMC) method based on the nonlinear characteristic model and its application to flexible satellites. A novel nonlinear dynamic sliding mode surface is designed depending on the nonlinear characteristic model. The expected advantage of the proposed SMC compared to the traditional SMC is to improve performances and robustness. The proposed results apply to a class of nonlinear systems and rely on the parameter estimation of the characteristic model. The theory is illustrated on the rapid maneuver and fast stability problem of the sun synchronous orbit satellite.