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. 04, 2013
Filed:
Apr. 14, 2011
Fawwad M. Batla, Yorba Linda, CA (US);
Yiu-hung M. Ho, Palos Verdes Estates, CA (US);
Fawwad M. Batla, Yorba Linda, CA (US);
Yiu-Hung M. Ho, Palos Verdes Estates, CA (US);
The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A method and system for application of a compound steering law for efficient low thrust transfer orbit trajectory for a spacecraft are disclosed. The method involves calculating, with at least one processor, a desired orbit for the spacecraft. The method further involves calculating a velocity change required to achieve an orbit eccentricity and a velocity change required to achieve a semi-major axis, both of which correspond to the desired orbit for the spacecraft. Also, the method involves calculating the direction of the vector sum of the velocity change required to achieve the orbit eccentricity and the velocity change required to achieve the semi-major axis. Further, the method involves firing at least one thruster of the spacecraft in the direction of the vector sum in order to change the current orbit of the spacecraft to the desired orbit for the spacecraft, thereby changing the orbit eccentricity and the semi-major axis simultaneously.