Moment of Inertia Matrix and Principal Axis Frame - MATLAB Example Calculation

Learn about the moment of inertia matrix and principal axis frame in this 35-minute lecture on space vehicle dynamics. Explore the calculation of the moment of inertia matrix for rigid bodies, its properties, and the concept of principal axes of rotation. Discover how to transform the inertia matrix between different rigid body frames using rotation matrices. Follow along with a MATLAB example demonstrating how to find principal moments, principal axes, and construct the principal axis frame. Gain insights into the physical significance of principal axes and their role in spacecraft attitude control.

Rigid body dynamics, continuous mass distribution.
Moment of inertia matrix entries, integral over body.
Principal axis frame -- easiest, most natural, rigid body frame.
Transforming moment of inertia matrix between frames.
MATLAB example of finding principal axis frame.
Principal axes physical significance.