Spacecraft detumbling through energy dissipation
The attitude motion of a tumbling, rigid, axisymmetric spacecraft is considered. A methodology for detumbling the spacecraft through energy dissipation is presented. The differential equations governing this motion are stiff, and therefore an approximate solution, based on the variation of constants method, is developed and utilized in the analysis of the detumbling strategy. Stability of the detumbling process is also addressed.
Fitz-Coy, Norman↗