A new linear quadratic controller design procedure is proposed for the NASA/JPL Deep Space Network antennas. The antenna model is divided into a tracking subsystem and a flexible subsystem. Controllers for the flexible and tracking parts are designed separately by adjusting the performance index weights. Ad hoc weights are chosen for the tracking part of the controller and the weights of the flexible part are adjusted. Next, the gains of the tracking part are determined, followed by the flexible controller final tune-up. In addition, the controller for the flexible part is designed separately for each mode; thus the design procedure consists of weight adjustment for small-size subsystems. Since the controller gains are obtained by adjusting the performance index weights, determination of the weight effect on system performance is a crucial task. A method of determining this effect that allows an on-line improvement of the tracking performance is presented in this article. The procedure is illustrated with the control system design for the Deep Space Station (DSS)-13 antenna
