On-orbit closed-loop control results for the Middeck Active Control Experiment

An in-depth analysis is presented of the closed-loop results and insights f rom the on-orbit control experiments of the Middeck Active Control Experime nt (MACE). MACE was flown in the Shuttle middeck on STS-67 in March 1995 to investigate issues associated with a change in operational environment fro m ground to space far a payload pointing spacecraft that cannot be tested i n a realistic ground simulation. These results show: 1) equivalent performa nce can be obtained using finite element-based and measurement-based contro l design models; 2) the benefits available from testing the structure on th e ground prior to Eight, even if these tests are in a different configurati on than that used on orbit; and 3) the performance limitations associated w ith various control topologies, These closed-loop results provide insight i nto how future on-orbit closed-loop experiments could be improved, and they also help build confidence in the on-orbit capabilities of future multipay load spacecraft.