CONTROLLED-EMISSION SOLAR TABS FOR ATTITUDE SOLAR SAILING

摘要

Solar tabs are provided which have thermal emissivity and absorptivitypropertiesdesigned to increase the attitude-control torques that can be generated withrotatablewings in a spacecraft. These increased torques enhance the ability to offsetattitude-disturbance torques which typically tend to alter the attitude of a spacecraftfrom adesired attitude. The tabs include highly absorptive and nonemissive frontfaces,highly emissive back faces and a high thermal conductivity between the frontfacesand the back faces.