On the high-accuracy attitude control of satellites in elliptic orbits
Control systems for high accuracy earth pointing attitude motions of satellite configurations in elliptic orbits
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Control systems for high accuracy earth pointing attitude motions of satellite configurations in elliptic orbits
The problem discussed is to design a digital controller for a typical satellite. The controlled plant is considered to be a rigid body acting in a plane. The controller is assumed to be a digital computer which, when combined with the proposed control algorithm, can be represented as a sampled-data system. The objective is to present a design strategy and technique for selecting numerical values for the control gains (assuming position, integral, and derivative feedback) and the sample rate. The technique is based on the parameter plane method and requires that the system be amenable to z-transform analysis.
Gimballed star trackers application to satellite attitude control for simplified signal processing
Oscillations in pulse modulated satellite attitude control systems
Limit cycle oscillations in satellite attitude control system, producing control moment by pulse modulated controller
Limit cycle oscillations in satellite attitude control system, producing control moment by pulse modulated controller
Calculations are given for Halo satellite orbit control. Previous truncated analytical descriptions were limited and lead to an acceleration error averaging about .000001, which is the 'cost' of a very tight control to the nominal path. The stationkeeping problem is posed so as to permit a looser, optimal three-axis control.
Adaptive power control concepts for the compensation of rain attenuation are considered for uplinks and downlinks. The performance of example power-controlled and fixed-EIRP uplinks is compared in terms of C/Ns and C/Is. Provisional conclusions are drawn with regard to the efficacy of uplink and downlink power control orbit/spectrum utilization efficiency.
An investigation has been made of the use of on-off reaction jets for precision attitude control of a satellite. Since a symmetrical vehicle is assumed, only single-axis control needs to be considered. The responses to initial disturbances and also limit-cycle characteristics for several systems have been evaluated. Calculated results indicate that realistic values of settling time and fuel consumption for the example considered can be obtained. The performance of a given system depends on the characteristics of the error detector used. In cases where the detector output was saturated for a relatively low error input, the settling time deteriorated when a lead network was used to provide damping. This deterioration could be eliminated if a separate rate signal to produce vehicle rate limiting were available. As an alternate approach, two systems were investigated which used a timed sequence of torques and could operate with a detector output of very small linear range. Although the performance of these systems was poorer than that of the lead network system without detector saturation, the performance was better than that of the lead network system with low values of detector saturation. The effects on limit-cycle characteristics of hysteresis, lead network constants, dead zone, and thrust time delays were also investigated.
Apparatus for measuring emittance and absorptivity of satellite temperature control surfaces
Magnetic attitude control of rigid spinning satellite in circular Earth orbit by producing control torques
Control nets of the four Galilean satellites, established photogrammetrically from pictures taken by the two Voyager spacecraft during their flybys of Jupiter in 1979, are discussed. Coordinates of 504 points on Io, 112 points on Europa, 1547 points on Ganymede, and 439 points on Callisto are listed. Selected points are identified on maps of the satellites. Measurements of these points were made on 234 pictures of Io, 115 pictures of Europa, 282 pictures of Ganymede, and 200 pictures of Callisto. The systems of longitude were defined by craters on Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Preliminary solutions are found for the directions of the axes of rotation of the Galilean satellites. Mean radii are determined as 1815 + or - 5 km for Io, 1569 + or - 10 km for Europa, 2631 + or - km for Ganymede, and 2400 + or - 10 km for Callisto.
Control nets of the four Galilean satellites have been established photogrammetrically from pictures taken by the two Voyager spacecraft during their flybys of Jupiter in 1979. Coordinates of 504 points on Io, 112 points on Europa, 1547 points on Ganymede, and 439 points on Callisto are listed. Selected points are identified on U.S. Geological Survey maps of the satellites. Measurements of these points were made on 234 pictures of Io, 115 pictures of Europa, 282 pictures of Ganymede, and 200 pictures of Callisto. The systems of longitude were defined by craters on Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Preliminary solutions have been found for the directions of the axes of rotation of the Galilean satellites. New mean radii have been determined as 1815 + or - 5 km for Io, 1569 + or - 10 km for Europa, 2631 + or - 10 km for Ganymede, and 2400 + or - 10 km for Callisto.
Satellite feedback attitude control system resulting in high accuracy earth pointing motions in elliptic orbits
This paper discusses a program of investigation into software development as graphical modeling. The goal of this work is a more efficient development and maintenance process for the ground-based software that controls unmanned scientific satellites launched by NASA. The main hypothesis of the program is that modeling of the spacecraft and its subsystems, and reasoning about such models, can--and should--form the key activities of software development; by using such models as inputs, the generation of code to perform various functions (such as simulation and diagnostics of spacecraft components) can be automated. Moreover, we contend that automation can provide significant support for reasoning about the software system at the diagram level.
Star tracker error signal processor for onboard current satellite attitude control over wide range of gimbal angles
Global digital navigation and traffic control system via satellites, discussing position determination, surveillance and communication requirements