Automatic Magnetic Attitude Control for a Wheelbarrow Spacecraft

摘要

An on-board automatic magnetic attitude control system is devised for a spacecraft. This control system is momentum-stiffened by means of a wheel with its spin axis oriented along the spacecraft pitch axis, which nominally coincides with the orbit normal. A roll coil mounted on the despun or barrow section of the spacecraft is used in conjunction with the horizon sensor, despin motor and electronics. Its purpose is to provide roll and yaw spin axis pointing control with a very simple proportional control law, but without need for a magnetometer in the control law. A wheel speed control loop employing a yaw coil and requiring a magnetometer is included in the report. System equations, block diagram and response characteristics are presented. (Author)