On-orbit system identification experiments on Engineering Test Satellite-VI

On-orbit system identification experiments were performed using the Engineering Test Satellite-VI (ETS-VI), launched in 1994. The purpose of the experiments is to check the validity of a mathematical model for ETS-VI which was previously obtained by ground experiments. Two kinds of system identification schemes are utilized. One is a traditional scheme based on polynomial black-box models such as the prediction error method, and the other is a subspace method based on state-space models. The purpose of this paper is to compare these system identification schemes using experimental data. It will be shown that the subspace method proves to be promising for the system identification of large space structures typified by ETS-VI.