Effects of Liquid Propellant Motion on the Attitude Stability of Spin Stabilized Spacecraft.

摘要

An analysis of the effects of liquid motion on the attitude stability of spin stabilized spacecraft is presented. The effects of varying the fuel load and the asymmetry of the platform are emphasized. The energy sink stability criteria are derived and applied to a marginally stable spacecraft. The stability predictions based on the energy sink stability criteria are compared to the results of a computer simulation. Based on this comparison the limitations of the energy sink stability criteria are identified.