Spacecraft attitude control using coupled thrusters

Details Spacecraft attitude control using coupled thrusters Spacecraft attitude control using coupled thrusters

1988-02-29

1989-07-18

Barefoot, Galen

Aeronautics and astronautics

Spacecraft

Attitude control

364459, B64G 126

Patent

active

048487066

ABSTRACT:
An attitude control system for a three-axis controlled spacecraft (1) in which the location of thrusters causes significant cross-coupling torques. A thruster command conditioning electronics module (TCCEM) (3) is positioned between the conventional roll, pitch, and yaw loop controllers (41-43) and the thrusters (61-63). The TCCEM (3) converts spacecraft-axis-based torque requirement signals (TDX, TDY, TDZ) emanating from the loop controllers (41-43) into scalar quantities (UL, UM, UN) that are input to thruster modulators (51-53) that turn on one or more thrusters of the thruster pairs (L,M,N). The TCCEM (3) causes the spacecraft (1) attitude to be adjusted as commanded by the torque requirement signals (TDX, TDY TDZ) despite the presence of the cross-coupling. Two embodiments are illustrated: a working embodiment in which cross-coupling torques are produced about two axes (Y,Z), and a more general embodiment in which cross-coupling torques are present about all three axes (X,Y,Z).

REFERENCES:
patent: 3643897 (1972-02-01), Johnson, Jr.
patent: 3866025 (1975-02-01), Cavanagh
patent: 3907226 (1975-09-01), Neufeld et al.
patent: 4288051 (1981-09-01), Goschel
patent: 4407469 (1983-10-01), Fox
patent: 4537375 (1985-08-01), Chan
patent: 4611863 (1986-09-01), Iseley
patent: 4630790 (1986-12-01), Williams, Jr.

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