Method and device for controlling satellite attitude and steering using a gyrodyne cluster
US7171290B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 24, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jan 30, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 2, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64G1/244
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
In order to control the attitude of a satellite having at least four gyroscopic actuators with respective spinners mounted on gimbals steerable about axes parallel to one or the other of only two different directions that are fixed relative to the satellite, the attitude of the satellite is measured using sensors on board the satellite, the control torque required to perform an attitude-changing maneuver is calculated, local linearization calculation is performed based on pseudo-inversion of the Jacobean matrix of the function associating the orientations of the actuator gimbals with the total angular momentum of the cluster in order to determine a new gimbal orientation, and precession speeds of at least one of the gimbals of the actuators are controlled to deliver the control torque for reaching the desired configuration.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.