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Stabilization of a linear system under control constraints is approached by combining the classical variation of parameters method for solving ODEs and a straightforward construction of a feedback law for the variational system based on a quadratic Lyapunov function. Sufficient conditions for global closed-loop stability under control constraints with zero in the interior and zero on the boundary of the control set are derived, and several examples are reported. The extension of the method to nonlinear systems with control constraints is described. 

The paper considers the application of feedback control to orbital transfer maneuvers subject to constraints on the spacecraft thrust and on avoiding the collision with the primary body. Incremental reference governor (IRG) strategies are developed to complement the nominal Lyapunov controller, derived based on Gauss variational equations, and enforce the constraints. Simulation results are reported that demonstrate the successful constrained orbital transfer maneuvers with the proposed approach. A Lyapunov function based IRG and a prediction‐based IRG are compared. While both implementation successfully enforce the constraints, a prediction‐based IRG is shown to result in faster maneuvers. 

The use of Command governors (CGs) to enforce pointwise-in-time state and control constraints by minimally altering reference commands to closed-loop systems has been proposed for a range of aerospace applications. In this paper, we revisit the design of the CG and describe approaches to its implementation based directly on a bilevel (inner loop + outer loop) optimization problem in the formulation of CG. Such approaches do not require offline construction and storage of constraint admissible sets nor the use of online trajectory prediction, and hence can be beneficial in situations when the reference command is high-dimensional and constraints are nonlinear and change with time or are reconfigured online. In the case of linear systems with linear constraints, or in the case of nonlinear systems with linear constraints for which a quadratic Lyapunov function is available, the inner loop optimization problem is explicitly solvable and the bilevel optimization reduces to a single stage optimization. In other cases, a reformulation of the bilevel optimization problem into a mathematical programming problem with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) can be used to arrive at a single stage optimization problem. By applying the bilevel optimization-based CG to the classical low thrust orbital transfer problem, in which the dynamics are represented by Gauss-Variational Equations (GVEs) and the nominal controller is of Lyapunov type, we demonstrate that constraints, such as on the radius of periapsis to avoid planetary collision, on the osculating orbit eccentricity and on the thrust magnitude can be handled. Furthermore, in this case the parameters of the Lyapunov function can be simultaneously optimized online resulting in faster maneuvers.