Aeronautics and astronautics – Spacecraft – Attitude control
Patent
1983-12-19
1986-03-04
Barefoot, Galen L.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Spacecraft
Attitude control
74 5R, B64G 120
Patent
active
045736510
ABSTRACT:
A torque orientation device (10) selectively orients a space craft without the use of jets or the ejection of any material. Pedestals (12, 14) support a gimbal (16) which is selectively driven by a motor (20). The gimbal (16) includes a frame (24) which supports an axle (30), a motor (26) and a commutator (28). Mass members (36, 38) are driven about the axle (30) by the motor (26). The moment of inertia about the primary axle (18) of the gimbal (16) is a function of the angular position of the mass members (36, 38) about the axle (30). The motor (20) applies selective torque impulses at periods (T1, T2) to the primary axle (18) in synchronism with the angular position of the mass members (36, 38) about the axle (30). The resulting counter torque from the motor (20) is passed to the space craft to cause the space craft to rotate toward the desired angular position. If the device (10) is mounted in the cross axis of a larger gimbal, its main axis may be adjusted to any other angle to produce space craft rotation about any axis. A group of three of the torque orientation devices (10) mounted at orthogonal angles to each other provides three axis orientation control for the space craft.
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