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:
Jun. 21, 2005
Filed:
Apr. 10, 2003
Neil Evan Goodzeit, Princeton, NJ (US);
Santosh Ratan, Highland Park, NJ (US);
Harald Juergen Weigl, Doylestown, PA (US);
Neil Evan Goodzeit, Princeton, NJ (US);
Santosh Ratan, Highland Park, NJ (US);
Harald Juergen Weigl, Doylestown, PA (US);
Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, MD (US);
Abstract
A velocity change (ΔV) thruster is operated on a spacecraft, which unavoidably causes attitude error. A reaction wheel (RWA) corrects the attitude. At the beginning of the thruster maneuver, the total attitude control momentum required to at least correct for the ΔV thruster attitude errors over the duration of the entire maneuver is determined, and the RWA momentum may also be determined. Attitude control thrusters (REAs) are operated. The REAs are operated to correct at least the net ΔV thruster induced attitude error, and preferably also to reset the RWA to its nominal momentum. The maneuver may be stationkeeping.