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:
Aug. 18, 2015
Filed:
Oct. 20, 2010
Saghir Munir, Union City, CA (US);
Darren Stratemeier, Mountain View, CA (US);
Xen Price, Redwood City, CA (US);
Yassir Azziz, San Mateo, CA (US);
Jorge Delgado, San Jose, CA (US);
Justo Jacinto, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Saghir Munir, Union City, CA (US);
Darren Stratemeier, Mountain View, CA (US);
Xen Price, Redwood City, CA (US);
Yassir Azziz, San Mateo, CA (US);
Jorge Delgado, San Jose, CA (US);
Justo Jacinto, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Space Systems/Loral, LLC, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for raising the orbit of a satellite having electric propulsion thrusters, an Earth sensor and an inertial reference sensor such as a gyro. A satellite positioning system generates orbital data and a profile generator generates an ideal electric orbit raising profile of the satellite. The ideal profile is one that the satellite must follow so that the perigee, apogee and inclination of the satellite can be adjusted simultaneously in a mass-efficient manner. A state machine processes the ideal profile and a true anomaly to generate a desired electric orbit raising profile. Steering apparatus generates signals that are used to control the attitude of the satellite to follow the desired profile. The desired profile places the satellite in an Earth-pointed attitude when the satellite is at a predefined point in the orbit, slews the satellite from the Earth-pointed attitude to an ideal orbit raising attitude, steers the satellite according to the ideal profile during orbit raising, and steers the satellite from the desired attitude to the Earth-pointed attitude.