Equatorial-normal body-stabilized spacecraft and control method for inclined orbit operation
AssigneeSpace Systems/Loral, Inc.
InventorsAndrew E. Turner, David F. Ford, Jeffrey D. Stoen
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Abstract
A control method and improved equatorial-normal body-stabilized spacecraft that operates in an inclined orbit. The control method controls pointing of payloads (communication antennas and instruments) and solar arrays disposed on the spacecraft. The method controls the spacecraft to provide Earth-pointing payloads and sun-pointing solar arrays so that the spacecraft body and solar arrays each rotate only around a single axis, a pitch axis of the spacecraft.
Claims11
A control method for use in controlling the attitude of a spacecraft, comprising the steps of:
- launching an equatorial-normal body-stabilized spacecraft into an inclined orbit while the spacecraft pitch axis is maintained in a substantially North-South direction;
- pointing a payload disposed on the spacecraft by rotating the spacecraft body about its pitch axis;
- and
- pointing one or more solar arrays disposed on the spacecraft by rotating the one or more arrays about the pitch axis.
An equatorial-normal body-stabilized spacecraft comprising:
- a spacecraft body;
- a payload disposed on the body;
- one or more solar arrays disposed on the body;
- and
- a control system that controls the attitude of spacecraft to have an inclined orbit, points the payload by rotating the spacecraft body about its pitch axis, and points the one or more solar arrays by rotating the one or more arrays about the pitch axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.