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. 22, 1992
Filed:
Aug. 03, 1990
Applicant:
Inventor:
Christopher D Rahn, Pleasant Hill, CA (US);
Assignee:
Space Systems/Loral, Inc., Newport Beach, CA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B64G / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
244164 ; 244169 ; 244171 ;
Abstract
A method for controlling reorientation of a spacecraft's spin from a minor axis spin bias to a desired major axis spin after spin transition. A control system monitors rotational rates about the principal axes to detect a separatrix crossing of a polhode path therein. Controlled thruster firings resulting from spin rate information successively decrease and increase a characteristic parameter and capture the spacecraft during a spin transition to a desired major axis bias orientation. It is possible to monitor only .omega..sub.1 and .omega..sub.3 in an alternate embodiment.