The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 28, 1976
Filed:
Mar. 20, 1975
Applicant:
Inventors:
Ludwig Muhlfelder, Livingston, NJ (US);
Norman Urton Huffmaster, Willingboro, NJ (US);
Assignee:
RCA Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B64G / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
244165 ; 2351502 ; 244-321 ; 318563 ; 318610 ;
Abstract
Three-axis attitude control of a substantially zero momentum satellite is achieved by a control system which includes three mutually orthogonal reaction wheels and a fourth backup reaction wheel. The backup wheel is mounted on an axis which is skewed with respect to the axes of the three mutually perpendicular wheels. Spacecraft attitude is normally maintained by torques developed by the mutually orthogonal wheels. If one and only one of the orthogonal wheels should fail to correct the attitude error on its associated axis, the backup wheel is caused to rotate and develop a torque to maintain spacecraft attitude.