초록 ▼

A method and system of attitude steering and momentum management for a spacecraft suitable over a wide range of orbit altitude and inclination parameters and a similar wide range of mission steering profiles is provided. The system utilizes two active momentum wheels positioned with their spin axes

A method and system of attitude steering and momentum management for a spacecraft suitable over a wide range of orbit altitude and inclination parameters and a similar wide range of mission steering profiles is provided. The system utilizes two active momentum wheels positioned with their spin axes nominally coaligned on the spacecraft pitch axis. Each wheel is pivoted by jackscrew type mechanisms which allow the angular momentum to be tilted (e.g. within the range 0-45°from the nominal alignment with respect to the spacecraft body). The spacecraft control processor generates wheel torque commands for the wheel speed electronics and jackscrew drive commands for the platform assemblies in order to adjust the speed and amount of tilt of the momentum wheels. The invention provides a two-momentum wheel array that allows use of either momentum bias steering or large angle zero-momentum steering and accommodates multiple orbit geometries and varying degrees of attitude steering agility.

대표청구항 ▼

An attitude steering and momentum management system for a spacecraft having a body and a first axis, said system comprising: a first active momentum wheel disposed within said body and rotatable about a first spin axis substantially co-aligned with said first axis, wherein rotation of said first mom

An attitude steering and momentum management system for a spacecraft having a body and a first axis, said system comprising: a first active momentum wheel disposed within said body and rotatable about a first spin axis substantially co-aligned with said first axis, wherein rotation of said first momentum wheel produces a first momentum directed along said first spin axis; a second active momentum wheel disposed within said body and rotatable about a second spin axis substantially co-aligned with said first axis, wherein rotation of said second momentum wheel produces a second momentum directed along said second spin axis; first mounting means for mounting said first momentum wheel in said body, said first mounting means controlling tilting of said first momentum wheel about two axes orthogonal to said first spin axis; second mounting means for mounting said second momentum wheel in said body, said second mounting means controlling tilting of said second momentum wheel about two axes orthogonal to said second spin axis; and a processor in communication with said first and second momentum wheels and said first and second mounting means for controlling the tilting of said first and second spin axes, the direction of rotation of said first and second momentum wheels and the rotational speed of said first and second momentum wheels, wherein said processor controls the rotational speed, direction of rotation and tilting of said first and second momentum wheels for desired orbit attitude steering selected from the group consisting of momentum-bias steering and zero-momentum steering.