Some observations on spin detector response during Galileo high gain antenna deployment

Abstract

This paper summarizes a dynamic analysis conducted in support of the investigation of the anomalous deployment of the Galileo High Gain Antenna on April 11, 1991. The work was focused on modeling the spacecraft spin dynamics to predict and compare the spin detector telemetry during the antenna deployment for possible cause scenarios. The effects of analog and digital low-pass filtering, digitization, and telemetry on the reported spin rate were studied as well. The high frequency phenomena in the spin detector response are masked by the filtering and sampling of the telemetry data. However, the observed spin detector telemetery is consistent with a single rib popping free, and is most likely associated with a rib near the spin detector, or 180 deg opposite.