№1, 2026
The rotational behavior of spacecraft plays a critical role in the stability and control of satellite missions. In a torque-free environment, this behavior is governed by Euler’s equations, which describe how angular velocity evolves based on the spacecraft’s inertia properties. This study investigates the stability of spacecraft rotation about each principal axis, focusing on the influence of mass distribution and axis selection. The aim is to identify how different configurations affect rotational stability, especially near the intermediate axis where motion can become unpredictable. A simulation framework was developed using programming languages C for numerical integration and Python for visualization and analysis. The study reveals that rotation about the major and minor axes remains stable, while rotation about the intermediate axis leads to unstable behavior, confirming theoretical expectations. Angular velocities and attitude parameters were computed and visualized to illustrate these dynamics. The findings offer valuable insight into passive attitude dynamics and are relevant for designing robust attitude control strategies in space missions (pp.3-10).
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