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Researchers: [Youngkwon Kim], [Dongwook Kwak]
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Collaborators: Prof. Hemant Sharma at BITS Pilani
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Themes: Lightweight and deployable structures
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This study presents shape-reconfigurable folding modular structures as a propellant-free approach for spacecraft control. Structural reconfiguration, such as hinge rotation and panel folding or deployment, changes the inertia tensor and mass distribution over time, enabling internal momentum exchange that adjusts the spacecraft’s motion without external torque. This process is formulated using three-dimensional rigid-body dynamics, where different reconfiguration paths, defined by modular state variables, lead to distinct inertia variation trajectories. The proposed method reduces propellant dependence and provides a flexible, non-propulsive attitude control strategy for changing mission conditions.
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