Abstract: Kane’s equation is resorted to build the mathematical model of the coupling dynamical system for the liquid filled spacecraft with flexible solar panel. Six degrees of freedoms are used to describe the orbital and attitude motion of spacecraft. The liquid sloshing dynamics in the tanks is equivalently replaced by using the moving pulsating ball model. The stiffening effect of flexible solar panels is incorporated into the dynamics formulation by adopting the hypothesis of geometrically nonlinear deformation. Then the rigid liquid flexible coupling dynamic model for the spacecraft is established. Numerical simulations are carried out to show the validity and efficiency of the coupling dynamical model presented in this paper, and the results show that the liquid sloshing has obvious influence on the rigid liquid flexible coupling spacecraft in zero gravity. With the increase of gravity effect, the interference of liquid sloshing on spacecraft attitude maneuver becomes more obvious. It is also found that the rigid liquid flex coupling influence can’t be ignored on the attitude maneuver of spacecraft. The research results are of great significance for the dynamic analysis and overall design of complex spacecraft.

Key words: flexible spacecraft, Moving pulsating ball model, Large amplitude liquid sloshing, Kane’s equation