Airbus Defence and Space Sas

Nicolas Cuilleron

Philippe Laurens

Jean Sperandei

Valerio Moro

A method of controlling the attitude of a spacecraft in spinning around itself with a non-zero total angular momentum H. The spacecraft includes a set of inertia flywheels configured to form an internal angular momentum H. The axis of the total angular momentum His aligned with a principal axis of inertia of the spacecraft, in the course of which the inertia flywheels are controlled to form an internal angular momentum H. The following expression, in which J is the inertia matrix of the spacecraft:()is negative if the principal axis of inertia targeted is the axis of maximum inertia of the spacecraft and is positive if the principal axis inertia targeted is the axis of minimum inertia of the spacecraft.

Method and device for controlling attitude of a spacecraft

A method to control a sunlight acquisition phase of a spacecraft with a nonzero angular momentum of an axis D. The spacecraft includes a solar generator configured to rotate about an axis Y. The spacecraft actuators are controlled to place the spacecraft in an intermediate orientation in which the axis Y is substantially orthogonal to the axis D. The solar generator is controlled to orientate the solar generator towards the sun. The spacecraft actuators are controlled to reduce the angular momentum of the spacecraft. The actuators of the spacecraft engine are controlled to place the spacecraft in an acquisition orientation in which the axis Y is substantially orthogonal to the direction of the sun with respect to the spacecraft.

Growing community of inventors

Toulouse, France

Nicolas Cuilleron