Sliding-mode controller design for spacecraft attitude trackingmaneuvers

A robust sliding-mode control law that deals with spacecraft attitude tracking problems is presented. Two important natural properties related to the spacecraft model of motion are discussed. It is shown that by using these properties and the second method of Lyapunov theory, the system stability in the sliding mode can be easily achieved. The success of the sliding-mode controller and its robustness relating to uncertainties are illustrated by an example of multiaxial attitude tracking maneuvers