Dynamics of shuttle based flexible antenna system

The aim of this thesis is to formulate a reduced dynamical model for the Shuttle based astro-mast antenna system by using a four degree of freedom model. Four degrees of freedom are considered sufficently representative of the response, caused by the application of step function torques giving acceleration and deceleration of the antenna dish. The aim is to obtain a model that can be clearly understood in terms of dynamics and control by limiting the analysis to only four degrees of freedom. This thesis formulates the corresponding dynamical model of the astro-mast antenna system. Using this dynamical model, an open loop pitching maneuver is simulated, eigenvalue analysis is applied, and residual oscillations at the end of the maneuver, are damped out by the d.c. servo motor using closed loop feedback control.