Rigid body dynamics from the Euler equations to the spacecraft attitude control in the works of scientists from Saint Petersburg State University. Part 1

Abstract

This survey, which consists of several articles, is dedicated to the 300th anniversary of Saint Petersburg State University (SPbSU) and is an attempt to analyze the scientific achievements of the Saint Petersburg School of Mathematics and Mechanics in the field of rigid body dynamics. This article, which is the first part of the survey, covers the main achievements of the period from the founding of SPbSU to the mid-1970s. Due to the anniversary nature of this work, the scientific results obtained at SPbSU are considered in the context of events inextricably linked with the founding of the Academy of Sciences, the University and the gymnasium in 1724 and their further development over the next 250 years. Due to the impossibility to cover even briefly all the publications that appeared during this period, attention is focused on the most important general areas of scientific thought and on those outstanding scientists of SPbSU, whose works enriched these areas.