Low noise spacecraft body rate sensing arrangement for attitude control
US5608634A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 12, 1992 |
| Grant date | Mar 4, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 12, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64G1/244
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A spacecraft is controlled by a composite attitude signal including two components with different passbands. In one embodiment, a spacecraft attitude control system includes an attitude sensor and a controller which provides a time derivative function. High frequency noise components of the sensed attitude signal are enhanced by the derivative, and tend to cause attitude jitter or excess power consumption. The jitter is reduced by low pass filtration of the sensor signal, but this undesirably reduces the high frequency response of the attitude sensor. The high frequency response is restored by high pass filter coupled to a reaction or momentum wheel tachometer, which produces a signal representative of the high frequency components of the body rate. A summing circuit couples together the filtered attitude sensor signals with the high frequency components of the wheel speed signal to produce a relatively noise free broadband body rate signal. In another embodiment, the spacecraft estimates the attitude, and the estimated attitude either lacks high-frequency components, or they are noisy. The missing or noisy high-frequency components are replaced by high frequency components derived…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.