Spacecraft and method for operating the spacecraft
AssigneesUniversite Pierre Et Marie Curie (Paris 6), Palais de la Decouverte, Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique
InventorsBadaoui El Mabsout, Alain Bioget, Michel Dudeck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spacecraft (P) has a propulsion system making it possible to exert a force of variable magnitude and orientation on the spacecraft, a control system designed to control the propulsion system in terms of magnitude and orientation so as to make the spacecraft approach a target around a planet, with the aid of a force having at least one component (fx, fy, fz), in the rotating reference frame tied to the target, which depends substantially linearly on the corresponding coordinate (x, y, z) of the craft in this reference frame.
Claims18
A spacecraft comprising:
- a propulsion system making it possible to exert a force of variable magnitude and orientation on the spacecraft, and
- a control system designed to control the propulsion system in terms of magnitude and orientation so as to make the spacecraft approach a target around a planet, with the aid of a force which comprises at least two components (fx, fy, fz), in the rotating reference frame tied to the target, which depend substantially linearly on the corresponding coordinate of the craft in this reference frame,
- the force being defined by:
- fx=−3.Ω2x, fy=0, fz=Ω2z:
- fx=−3Ω2x+ε.A, with ε±1, A being a positive constant, fy=0, fz=Ω2z;
- or
- fx=−3.Ω2x, fy=ε.B, ε=±1, B being a positive constant, fz=Ω2z.
A guidance system for guiding a spacecraft so as to make the spacecraft approach a target around a planet, the spacecraft comprising a propulsion system making it possible to exert a force of variable magnitude and orientation on the spacecraft, and a control system designed to control the propulsion system, the guidance system comprising:
- at least one remote data transmission system designed to transmit useful data to the control system of the spacecraft so as to allow the control system to control the propulsion system in terms of magnitude and orientation in such a way as to make the spacecraft approach the target, with the aid of a force which comprises at least two components (fx, fy, fz), in the rotating reference frame tied to the target, which depend substantially linearly on the corresponding coordinate of the craft in this reference frame,
- the force being defined by:
- fx=−3.Ω2x, fy=0, fz=Ω2z;
- fx=−3Ω2x+ε.A, with ε=±1, A being a positive constant, fy=0, fz=Ω2z;
- or
- fx=−3.Ω2x, fy=ε.B, ε=±1, B being a positive constant fz=Ω2z.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.