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:
Mar. 12, 1985
Filed:
Mar. 10, 1982
Kevin J Phillips, East Windsor, NJ (US);
Terry G Tracy, Cranbury, NJ (US);
RCA Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for damping nutation in a spacecraft to essentially zero in less than one nutation period which has a spin axis, first and second transverse axes and a characteristic nutation frequency .lambda.. A time interval t.sub.1 after the transverse momentum of the spacecraft about one transverse axis, such as the Y axis has crossed zero, a torque of magnitude T.sub.Y is applied to the spacecraft about its Y transverse axis. After a time interval t.sub.2, the application of this torque is terminated. The time t.sub.1 =1/.lambda. cos.sup.-1 (h.sub.Y0 .lambda./2T.sub.Y) and the time t.sub.2 =2/.lambda. sin.sup.-1 (h.sub.Y0 .lambda./2T.sub.Y), where h.sub.Y0 is the peak body momentum about the Y transverse axis.