TESTS USING AN AIR BEARING SIMULATORFOR ATTITUDE CONTROL SYSTEMS

摘要

As part of validating a series of attitude control software and hardware for rockets andspacecrafts, an Attitude Control System Air Bearing Simulator (ACBS) has been developed. TheACBS is a very low cost system that has the capability of generating tri–axis angular motion onthe vehicle to evaluate the overall performance of the attitude control subsystem, allowing toinclude real or simulated hardware in the loop (sensors and actuators), space environments,failures, delays, overlapping the events, etc. The test specimen is suspended in air by a sphericalair bearing which gives us a practically frictionless motion to allow free rotation of the testspecimen about any rotation axis. The design versatility is robust enough to allow modificationsin the kind, quantity and configuration of sensors, actuators and the corresponding controlsoftware. The first practical use of this Simulator is for a sounding rocket project of theArgentine Space Agency (CoNAE). This paper discusses this specific application and the furtheruses of enhancements suitable for spacecraft developments and for academic applications.