Distributed cooperative control design for finite-time attitude synchronisation of rigid spacecraft

Two finite-time control algorithms are developed for distributed cooperative attitude synchronisation of multiple spacecraft with a dynamic virtual leader. Each spacecraft is modelled as a rigid body incorporating with model uncertainty and unknown external disturbance. The virtual leader gives commands to some of the follower spacecraft, and the communication network between followers can be an undirected or a directed graph. By using two neighbourhood synchronisation error signals, a finite-time control algorithm is designed associated with adaptive mechanism such that all follower spacecraft synchronise to the virtual leader in finite time. Then a novel estimator-based finite-time distributed cooperative control algorithm is developed by using the followers' estimates of the virtual leader, and the convergence of the attitude and angular velocity errors can be guaranteed in finite time. Moreover, both of the control strategies are chattering-free for their continuous design. Simulation examples are illustrated to demonstrate the validity of the two algorithms.