Title: Performance analysis of a finite-time sliding mode controller for CubeSat in ionospheric mission

Authors: Eden Abeselom Habteslasie; Shimeles Demissie Melaku; Zelalem Berhanu Bogale

Addresses: Department of Aerospace Engineering, Space Science and Geospatial Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ' Department of Electrical Power and Control Engineering, Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia ' Department of Energetics and Propulsion, Ecole Centrale de Nantes, Nantes, France

Abstract: CubeSats provide affordable space access, but face control challenges due to their size and nonlinear dynamics, which conventional controllers struggle to address effectively. This study presents a finite-time sliding mode controller (FTSMC) for the attitude control of a 12U CubeSat for an ionospheric exploration mission. The FTSMC ensures finite-time equilibrium by defining a sliding surface and control law. The dynamic model is formulated using the Newton-Euler formulation, considering external disturbances from aerodynamic, residual magnetic dipole, and gravity gradient torques. Two actuator configurations were examined: reaction wheels in tetrahedral configuration and reaction wheels in an orthogonal configuration alongside three magnetorquers. The controller achieves accurate Euler angle tracking, with a rise time between 8.5 to 9.2 seconds and a settling time of around 23 seconds. Compared to the proportional-derivative (PD) controller, the proposed controller improves the settling time by 88.5%. FTSMC can provide better attitude control for CubeSats used in scientific missions.

Keywords: attitude control; CubeSat; finite-time sliding mode controller; FTSMC; ionospheric exploration; Lyapunov stability.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSPACESE.2025.151016

International Journal of Space Science and Engineering, 2025 Vol.7 No.3, pp.247 - 272

Received: 01 Nov 2024
Accepted: 25 Apr 2025
Published online: 09 Jan 2026 *

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