Solar panels on spacecraft are typical kinds of flexible structures. Low‐frequency and large‐amplitude vibrations usually occur due to the inevitable disturbances of deployment impact, attitude/orbit maneuver, separation/docking impact, and so forth. These vibrations degrade the stability of the spacecraft platform, leading to a reduction in imaging quality and pointing direction accuracy. Vibration control is obligatory during flight missions. Here, we summarize the researches on vibration control of the solar panels. First, typical solar panels used in spacecraft and the specific difficulties in dynamic modeling and control design are introduced. Next, the researches on dynamic modeling methods, decentralized vibration control strategy, and in‐orbit vibration controller design technologies are presented sequentially. Finally, a practical example where our method was successfully applied in‐orbit is described. In conclusion, the theories, methods, and technologies presented in this review hold significant value for achieving high‐precision performance in large spacecraft.

Understanding the dynamic characteristics of solar arrays is important for satellite structural design and attitude control design. Considerable theoretical researches have been carried out towards this problem, but they have not been supported by actual orbit data from outer space yet. In this paper, the on‐orbit vibration characteristic data of solar arrays under the deployment shock are measured by using vibration measurement apparatuses based on structural strain. With these valuable experimental data, more eigenfrequencies of the solar arrays in the microgravity environment are obtained, and the prediction that the vibration of solar arrays will have larger amplitude and longer decay time under vacuum conditions is verified. Moreover, by comparing the eigenfrequency of main vibration under the space condition with that under the ground condition, the accurate value of the system damping ratio is gained, which has an important guideline significant for the structural design of solar arrays.

Spacecraft must withstand rigorous mechanical environment experiences such as acceleration, noise, vibration, and shock during the process of launching, satellite-vehicle separation, and so on. In this paper, a new spacecraft multifunctional structure concept designed by us is introduced. The multifunctional structure has the functions of not only load bearing, but also vibration reduction, energy source, thermal control, and so on, and we adopt a series of viscoelastic parts as connections between substructures. Especially in this paper, a vibration antiresonance design method is proposed to realize the vibration reduction. The complex zero-point equations of the vibration system are firstly established, and then the vibration antiresonance design for the system is achieved. For solving the difficulties due to viscoelastic characteristics of the connecting parts, we present the determining formulas to obtain the structural parameters, so that the complex zero-point equations can be satisfied. Numerical simulation and ground experiment demonstrate the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method. This method can solve the structural vibration control problem under the function constraints of load bearing and energy supplying and will expand the performance of spacecraft functional modules.