The mathematical model for a flexible spacecraft that is rotating about a single axis rotation is described by coupled rigid and flexible body degrees-of-freedom, where the equations of motion are modeled by integro-partial differential equations. Beam-like structures are often useful for analyzing boom-like flexible appendages. The equations of motion are analyzed by introducing generalized Fourier series for the deformational coordinate that transforms the governing equations into a system of ordinary differential equations. Though technically straightforward, two problems arise with this approach: (1) the model is frequency-truncated because a finite number of series terms are retained in the model, and (2) computationally intense matrix-valued transfer function calculations are required for understanding the frequency domain behavior of the system. Both of these problems are resolved by: (1) computing the Laplace transform of the governing integro-partial differential equation of motion; and (2) introducing a generalized state space (consisting of the deformational coordinate and three spatial partial derivatives, as well as single and double spatial integrals of the deformational coordinate). The Laplace domain equation of motion is cast in the form of a linear state-space differential equation that is solved in terms of a matrix exponential and convolution integral. The structural boundary conditions defined by Hamilton’s principle are enforced on the closed-form solution for the generalized state space. The generalized state space model is then manipulated to provide analytic scalar transfer function models for the original integro-partial differential system dynamics. Symbolic methods are used to obtain closed-form eigen decomposition–based solutions for the matrix exponential/convolution integral algorithm. Numerical results are presented that compare the classical series based approach with the generalized state space approach for computing representative spacecraft transfer function models.
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