Target acquisition control for spacecraft gimballed payload

An apparatus for controlling a gimbaled platform, comprising:

• a sensor, for measuring a LOS angle error ΔθLOS;
• a controller, communicatively coupled to the sensor, the controller for commanding the gimballed platform and comprising
• an acquisition controller, for computing an acquisition phase gimbal angle rate command ωcmd—Acq from a measured LOS angle error ΔθLOS for an initial control period T;
• an estimator, for computing an estimated LOS angle rate {circumflex over (ω)}LOS;
• a tracking controller, for computing a tracking phase gimbal angle rate command ωcmd—Trk using a controller initialized with the estimated LOS angle rate {circumflex over (ω)}LOS;
• and
• a switch, for applying the acquisition phase gimbal angle rate command ωcmd—Acq to a gimbal drive during the initial control period T and applying the tracking phase gimbal rate command ωcmd—Trk after the initial control period T.

An apparatus for controlling a gimbaled platform, comprising:

• means for computing an acquisition phase gimbal angle rate command ωcmd—Acq from a measured LOS angle error ΔθLOS for an initial control period T;
• means for computing an estimated LOS angle rate {circumflex over (ω)}LOS;
• means for computing a tracking phase gimbal angle rate command ωcmd—Trk using a controller initialized with the estimated LOS angle rate {circumflex over (ω)}LOS;
• and
• means for commanding the gimballed platform according to an angle rate command ωcmd, wherein the angle rate command ωcmd is the acquisition phase angle rate command ωcmd—Acq during the initial control period T and the tracking phase gimbal angle rate command ωcmd—Trk after the initial control period T.