Aeronautics and astronautics – Spacecraft – Attitude control
Patent
1993-07-19
2000-02-08
Barefoot, Galen L.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Spacecraft
Attitude control
244165, 701 13, B64G 124
Patent
active
060219793
ABSTRACT:
A sun-referenced safe-hold control system for momentum-biased satellites employs a safe-hold processor responsive to a set of sun sensors to detect attitude errors of the solar wings. Safe-hold processor provides independent control logic which rotates the solar wings to ensure that sunlight is maintained incident on the solar wings to maintain solar power in the safe-hold mode. In addition, the safe-hold processor provides independent control of the momentum wheel to place the spacecraft body in a passively stable nutational state. Passive nutational stability inherent in a momentum-biased satellite about two axes of the spacecraft enables the safe-hold processor to actively control the spacecraft about only one of its axes. The spacecraft safe-hold control system increases the period in which spacecraft health is guaranteed by adding active, closed-loop control of the solar wings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4949922 (1990-08-01), Rosen
patent: 5269483 (1993-12-01), Flament
patent: 5312073 (1994-05-01), Flament et al.
Bender Douglas J.
Bockman Stuart F.
Bowles Tiffany
Burkett William L.
Nakano William A.
Barefoot Galen L.
Grunebach Georgann S.
Hughes Electronics Corporation
Sales M. W.
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