Abstract: The attitude control problem of the assembled spacecraft in rendezvous and docking tasks is studied in this paper. Control capability of thrusters whose outputs are bounded is analyzed firstly. Then the controller is designed by using intelligent adaptive control method based on characteristic model. The same controller is applied to the one-shaped and L-shaped assembled spacecraft, and the simulation results are given respectively. In contrast with the robust controller, this method is feasible and of much advantages.

Key words: assembled spacecraft, intelligent adaptive control method, characteristic model, control capability