Motion of a spacecraft with magnetic damper

Three methods of numerically simulating the motion of a spacecraft with a magnetic damper are compared. Simulations of motion of the initial assembly stage of Space Station Freedom show that results obtained with the first approach are in general agreement with those based on the second approach, while results from the third method are incorrect unless the spacecraft is nearly at rest in a local-vertical-local-horizontal reference frame. Simulations based on the second method proceed much more quickly than simulations based on the first. An integral of equations of motion governing the behavior of a spacecraft, and a sphere, which is part of the damper is presented. The integral can be used to test the results of numerical integrations performed in connection with the first and second approaches.