THE ROLE OF MASS PROPERTIES MEASUREMENT IN THE SPACE MISSION

摘要

This paper outlines the requirements for a successfulmass properties (MP) measurement program for spacemissions. It emphasizes the need for cooperation andcoordination between the various mission groups inestablishing the MP measurement requirements,tolerances equipment, & procedures necessary to meetmission objectives. The typical responsibilities of eachgroup are outlined.The paper also describes the capabilities and limitationsof various specific state of the art MP instruments andmethods available to measure the weight, center ofgravity location (CG), moments of inertia (MOI), andproducts of inertia (POI) of spacecraft and sub-assemblies. These MP measuring instruments arecompared with regard to the basic principles ofmeasurement, accuracy, cost, and other characteristics.It will also provide guidelines for incorporating designfeatures in the spacecraft to optimize the accuracy ofMP measurements and ballasting to meet the designspecifications.Examples and design guidelines for locating fixtures aregiven along with methods and examples used tooptimize the accuracy of MP measurements.