A New Method of Attitude Staabilization

摘要

A new concept of attitude stabilization is presented in this report. The basic purpose of stabilization to beam radiation into a definite direction is combined with the stabilization system by means of a stabilized reflector. A spin-stabilized satellite is magnetically or electrostatically suspended on a gravity-gradient stabilized reflector. The reflector serves to direct the radiation emanating axially from the spin-stabilized satellite toward the earth. This concept is demonstrated on a communications satellite and on a surveillance satellite in which the spin motion of the satellite is used to generate a continuous circular scan on the surface of the earth.