Systems and method of controlling a spacecraft using attitude sensors
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsDan Y. Liu, Qinghong W. Wang, Richard Y. Chiang
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Abstract
A system for damping nutation and removing wobble of a spacecraft spinning about a given axis is provided. The system includes a sensor configured to determine three dimensional attitude measurements of the spacecraft, a processor operatively coupled to the sensor and configured to execute a process that facilitates aligning the spin axis with a spacecraft momentum vector. The processor, when executing the process, is programmed to receive spacecraft attitude data from the sensor, determine a torque command using the received attitude data, and control a momentum storage actuator on the spacecraft using the determined torque command such that an angular deviation about the given axis is reduced.
Claims17
A method of damping nutation and removing wobble of a spacecraft spinning about a given axis, the spacecraft includes an attitude sensor configured to provide three dimensional spacecraft attitude measurements, wherein the attitude sensor includes at least one of a star tracker, sun sensor, horizon sensor, and magnetometer, said method comprising:
- receiving spacecraft attitude data from the attitude sensor;
- determine an angular position and an angular rate of the spacecraft using the received spacecraft attitude data;
- determining a torque command using the determined angular rate;
- and
- controlling a momentum storage actuator of the spacecraft using said determined control torque command such that an angular deviation about the given axis is reduced, wherein the angular deviation includes a nutation and a wobble angle.
A system for damping nutation and removing wobble of a spacecraft spinning about a given axis, said system comprising:
- a sensor configured to determine three dimensional attitude measurements of said spacecraft, wherein said sensor comprises at least one of a star tracker, sun sensor, horizon sensor, and magnetometer;
- a processor operatively coupled to said sensor and configured to execute a process that facilitates aligning said spin axis with a spacecraft momentum vector, said processor, when executing said process, is programmed to:
- receive spacecraft attitude data from said sensor;
- determine an angular position and an angular rate of the spacecraft using the received spacecraft attitude data;
- determine a torque command using the determined angular rate;
- and
- control a momentum storage actuator of said spacecraft using said determined torque command such that an angular deviation about the given axis is reduced, wherein the angular deviation includes a nutation and a wobble angle.
A spacecraft spinning about a given axis comprising:
- a sensor configured to determine three dimensional attitude measurements of said spacecraft, wherein said sensor comprises at least one of a star tracker, sun sensor, horizon sensor, and magnetometer;
- a momentum storage actuator configured to reduce an angular deviation about the given axis;
- and
- a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a process to be executed by a processor for use in damping nutation and removing wobble of a spacecraft about the given axis, said processor, when executing said process, is programmed to:
- receive spacecraft attitude data from said sensor;
- determine an angular position and an angular rate of the spacecraft using the received spacecraft attitude data;
- determine a torque command using the determined angular rate;
- and
- control the momentum storage actuator of said spacecraft using said determined torque command such that an angular deviation about the given axis is reduced, wherein the angular deviation includes a nutation and a wobble angle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.