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:
Oct. 02, 2001
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1999
Scott W Tilley, Belmont, CA (US);
Darren R Stratemeier, Redwood City, CA (US);
Space Systems/Loral, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
There is provided a method and system for simultaneous north-south stationkeeping and 3-axis momentum management for a geosynchronous orbiting spacecraft. The spacecraft has a first thruster, a second thruster, and at least three momentum wheels mounted on-board the spacecraft. The first and second thrusters are mounted adjacent to a north and a south face of the spacecraft, respectively, on an anti-earth side of the spacecraft and are aligned to produce thrust vectors slightly off from the spacecraft's center of mass. The first and second thrusters are independently fired at predetermined positions along the geosynchronous orbital path of the spacecraft. The thrust vectors provide attitude and orbital adjustment needed to correct north-south orbital position deviation and provide torque needed to desaturate the stored angular momentum of the momentum wheels.