Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Northrop Grumman Space & Mission Systems Corporation

James Wehner

Christian Harris

Michael K O'Rell

Lael Rudd

Shahram Foroozan

One embodiment of the invention includes a spacecraft. The spacecraft comprises at least one solar array panel comprising an array of solar cell sections. Each of the solar cell sections can be configured to generate electrical power from received solar radiation. The spacecraft also comprises a solar array selection controller configured to selectively deactivate a portion of the array of solar cell sections to generate a torque on the spacecraft based on a difference in at least one of solar and thermal radiation pressure between an activated portion of the array of solar cell sections and the deactivated portion of the array of solar cell sections.

Solar array momentum control

A spacecraft including control vanes for controlling the pointing direction of the spacecraft by providing a variable absorptive, reflective, emissive and/or transmissive properties. The control vanes provide a torque on the spacecraft to maintain the spacecraft pointing towards the sun. The control vanes can include at least one x-axis control vane and at least one y-axis control vane where the xaxis control vane provides x-axis control torque on the spacecraft rotated about the x-axis, and the y-axis control vane provides y-axis control torque on the spacecraft when rotated about the y-axis.

Spacecraft including control vanes having variable absorptive, reflective and emissive characteristics

Controlling the solar torque imposed on a spacecraft () in flight by providing a film () with variable absorptive, reflective, emissive and/or transmissive properties on the sun side of a thermal shield () of the spacecraft (). As the orientation of the thermal shield () changes relative to the sun line, the absorptive, reflective, emissive and/or transmissive properties of the shield () change to cause the shield's () center of solar pressure to change, thus aligning it with the spacecraft () center of mass () as viewed from the direction of the sun line. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the spacecraft () is provided with a plurality of control vanes (110&#x2013;116) that have a variable absorptive, transmissive, reflective and emissive property to maintain the spacecraft () stably pointed towards the sun.

Method for aligning a spacecraft

Controlling the solar torque imposed on a spacecraft () in flight by providing a film () with variable absorptive, reflective, emissive and/or transmissive properties on the sun side of a thermal shield () of the spacecraft (). As the orientation of the thermal shield () changes relative to the sun line, the absorptive, reflective, emissive and/or transmissive properties of the shield () change to cause the shield's () center of solar pressure to change, thus aligning it with the spacecraft () center of mass () as viewed from the direction of the sun line. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the spacecraft () is provided with a plurality of control vanes () that have a variable absorptive, transmissive, reflective and emissive property to maintain the spacecraft () stably pointed towards the sun.

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Torrance, CA, United States of America

James Wehner