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US 10,377,513 B2Granted
Energy efficient satellite maneuvering
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsTimothy S. Lui, Kangsik Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Energy efficient satellite maneuvering is described herein. One disclosed example method includes maneuvering a satellite that is in an orbit around a space body so that a principle sensitive axis of the satellite is oriented to an orbit frame plane to reduce gravity gradient torques acting upon the satellite. The orbit frame plane is based on an orbit frame vector.
Claims28
A method comprising:
- maneuvering, via a reaction wheel controlled by a thrust controller, a satellite that is in an orbit around a space body by aligning a functional vector to an orbit frame plane and slewing about the functional vector so that a principle sensitive axis of the satellite is oriented to the orbit frame plane to reduce gravity gradient torques acting upon the satellite.
An apparatus comprising:
- a maneuvering device of a satellite, wherein the maneuvering device includes a momentum exchange device;
- and
- a thrust controller to control the maneuvering device to orient a functional vector to be aligned with an orbit frame plane and slew the satellite about the functional vector to orient the principle sensitive axis of the satellite to the orbit frame plane is to reduce gravity gradient torques acting upon the satellite,
- wherein the momentum exchange device further includes a reaction wheel.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- maneuvering, via a reaction wheel controlled by a thrust controller, a satellite that is in an orbit around a space body to orient a principle sensitive axis of the satellite to an orbit frame plane by slewing the satellite about a functional vector of the satellite that is perpendicular to the principle sensitive axis;
- and
- operating at least one thruster of the satellite to cause a thrust vector to be perpendicular to the principle sensitive axis to alter an orbital distance of the satellite.
A method comprising:
- maneuvering, via a reaction wheel controlled by a thrust controller, a satellite orbiting a space body so that a functional vector of the satellite is within an orbit frame plane perpendicular to an orbital frame vector, the orbital frame vector directed from the satellite towards a center of the space body;
- and
- slewing the satellite about the functional vector so that a sensitive axis of the satellite is oriented to the orbit frame plane.
A non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, cause a machine to:
- access or determine inertial characteristics of a satellite orbiting a space body to identify a sensitive axis of the satellite, the satellite having an associated functional vector;
- determine an orbit frame plane using an orbit frame transformation matrix, wherein the orbit frame plane is perpendicular to an orbit frame vector;
- determine an attitude of the satellite to orient the sensitive axis to the determined orbit frame plane, and to orient the functional vector-to be aligned with the orbit frame plane;
- and
- instruct a thrust controller to direct a reaction wheel to move the satellite to the attitude.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.