Recent advances in spacecraft dynamics and control

This review commemorates the upcoming publication of the spacecraft dynamics and control series in China by summarizing recent progress in spacecraft dynamics and control. It highlights advancements in orbit dynamics and control, focusing on the development of convex optimization and the application of artificial intelligence in orbital optimization. It emphasizes the specialized techniques for rendezvous and docking, as well as low-thrust trajectory optimization, for improving mission efficiency. The review also discusses the evolution of attitude dynamics and control, including improvements in actuator technologies. It addresses the challenges of large-scale spacecraft, including dynamic modeling, steering strategies, and health monitoring, which are essential for ensuring operational reliability. The review further explores the theoretical progress in structural dynamics and control, focusing on the enhancement of structural control through artificial intelligence and advanced modeling techniques. It presents research on specialized structures, such as biomimetic robotics and super-large spacecraft structures. The review organizes these developments along a physics-learning integration spectrum, clarifying the complementary roles of analytical modeling, optimization, and learning-assisted decision layers. Persistent challenges in verification, scalability, and cross-domain coupling are identified, and evolutionary pathways toward system-level autonomy and constraint-consistent coordination are discussed.