AUTONOMOUS MANOEURING FOR SPINNING SPACECRAFT

摘要

An autonomous active manoeuvring method and system for spinnin g spacecraft is provided having a capability to enhance the attitude and orbit control and measurement subsystem (AOCMS) performance of passive spinning satellites and to fulfil the emerging autonomy requirements applicable to new generation satellites. The invention resides in (a) the overall concept of providing autonomous execution of spin axis re-orientation manoeuvring for spinning spacecraft designed and executed autonomously on-board the spacecraft by the AOCMS and (b) in the proposed strategy to execute the re-orientation manoeuvres with respect to the handling nutation.The provision of coupling nutation avoidance manoeuvres with active nutation damping on board the spacecraft reduces/minimises the manoeuvre setting time required to return the spacecraft to the steady state pointing performance, while not imposing constraints upon the particular spacecraft inertia sensor properties.