Energy Quasi-Optimal Angular Acceleration of a Spacecraft Based on the Poinsot Concept

This paper is devoted to the kinematic problem of the optimal, in terms of energy consumption, program angular acceleration of a spacecraft under arbitrary boundary conditions imposed on its angular position and angular velocity. A quasi-optimal analytical solution of the problem is obtained within the classical Poinsot concept of the angular motion of a solid body as a generalized coning motion and Pontryagin’s maximum principle. This solution is brought to an algorithm. Supporting analytical and numerical examples are provided to show either the proximity of the quasi-optimal and optimal solutions or their complete coincidence, depending on the boundary conditions.