Euler angles, quaternions, and transformation matrices for space shuttle analysis

Abstract

Relationships between the Euler angles and the transformation matrix, the quaternion and the transformation matrix, and the Euler angles and the quaternion are analyzed, and equations developed are applied directly to current space shuttle problems. The twelve three-axis Euler transformation matrices as functions of the Euler angles, the equations for the quaternion as a function of the Euler angles, and the Euler angles as a function of the transformation matrix elements are included along with a group of utility subroutines to accomplish the Euler matrix, quaternion matrix, and Euler quaternion relationships.