Abstract:
A satellite comprises at least one surface (4, 5) intended mainly for exposure to solar radiation and extending away from the satellite in a predetermined direction (Y), an on-board computer (8) having connected thereto an attitude sensing system (7), an orbit control system for imparting thrust to the satellite along predetermined axes, and an attitude control system. Said satellite further comprises a device (6') for controlling the tilt of said surface in parallel with a plurality of planes containing said predetermined direction (and therefore particularly in parallel with the plane of a solar panel forming said surface). Said tilt control device is controlled by said on-board computer. Said tilting can generate a moment of pitch or relocate the centre of gravity onto the axis of the orbit control system.
Abstract:
A satellite embodying at least one surface intended mainly for exposure to solar radiation and extending away from the satellite in a predetermined direction (Y), an onboard computer having connected thereto an attitude sensing system, an orbit control system for imparting thrust to the satellite along predetermined axes, and an attitude control system. The satellite further embodies a device for controlling the tilt of the surface in parallel with a plurality of planes containing the predetermined direction; and, therefore, particularly in parallel with the plane of a solar panel forming the surface. The tilt control device is controlled by the onboard computer. The tilting can generate a moment of pitch or relocate the center of gravity onto the axis of the orbit control system.
Abstract:
For reacquisition of the attitude of a satellite wholly or partly three-axis stabilised, the method tests whether an Earth detector detects the Earth (test 1) and whether a star detector detects a star of magnitude at least approximately equal to that of a given reference star (test 2): …… * case a : if tests 1 and 2 are positive, the Earth and the said star are captured, and the method tests the coherence over time of the roll information supplied by the Earth and star detectors : in the case of non-coherence it passes to case b; … * case b : if only test 1 is positive, the Earth is captured and the satellite is commanded in rotation in yaw until test 2 is satisfied; the said star is captured and the method proceeds to the coherence test provided for in case a; … * cases c and d : if test 1 is negative, the pitch speed is reversed during a given time at most; if test 1 becomes positive, test 2 is carried out: if test 2 remains negative, the method passes to case b, or else it passes to the coherence test; in default it passes to sun acquisition mode. …… …
Abstract:
For the method for controlling the roll and yaw attitude of a three-axes stabilised satellite comprising a wheel system generating a permanent kinetic moment substantially parallel to the pitch axis and having a variable component at least approximately parallel to the roll-yaw plane and a continuously acting actuation system, the attitude of the satellite is detected (21) in roll and/or in yaw, control signals derived by a fast servocontrol loop (24) according to a known fast servocontrol law are applied to the wheel system and second control signals derived by a slow servocontrol loop (25) according to a known slow servocontrol law are applied to the continuously-acting actuation system. This continuously-acting actuation system is activated in a fixed direction of the satellite, parallel to this variable component if the latter is fixed in direction, and at least one first complementary control signal TW is furthermore applied to the wheel system, the signal being chosen so as to bring the component of the kinetic moment along this fixed direction to a value suitable for compensating, in the long term, for the drift of the kinetic moment along a second fixed direction, and a second complementary control signal is applied to the continuously-acting actuation system, produced so as to cancel out the effect of the first signal on the attitude along this second fixed direction.
Abstract:
To control the attitude in roll (X) and in yaw (Z) of a satellite (1) including two solar generator panels (4, 5) adapted to be oriented independently of each other about a pitch axis: . in a preliminary stage: two geometrical axes x and z are selected in the plane of the roll and yaw axes, there being associated with the z axis a tolerable command torque error much lower than for the x axis, and a correlation law is established between satellite panel depointing angles .gamma.N and .gamma.S and possible command torques due to solar radiation pressure, then cyclically while the satellite performs its orbit: a theoretical attitude correction torque in the plane of the roll and yaw axes is calculated, a possible torque is identified having on the z axis, a component substantially identical to that of the theoretical torque and, on the x axis, a component as close as possible to the theoretical torque component, and there are applied to the panels the depointing angles associated with said possible torque by the correlation law.
Abstract:
A method for control of the attitude of a satellite (11) according to which the direction (S) of a predetermined celestial object is defined in a reference frame tied to the satellite, the instantaneous angular velocity vector @ of the satellite is detected, and torques defined by a control law are applied to the satellite, via an actuation unit (16), so as to rotate the satellite about this direction whilst orienting a pointing axis @ tied to the satellite along this direction, characterised in that this direction of the predetermined celestial object in the reference frame tied to the satellite is defined by a first magnitude representative of a first angle ( alpha , alpha ') measured between an aiming axis (Zs, Zs') and the projection of this direction onto a first reference plane containing this aiming axis and by a second magnitude representative of a second angle ( beta ') defined by this aiming axis and the projection of this direction onto a second reference plane containing this aiming axis, this second angle being calculated from this first angle and from the instantaneous angular velocity vector of the satellite.
Abstract:
METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE ATTITUDE OF A SATELLITE AIMED TOWARDS A CELESTIAL OBJECT AND A SATELLITE SUITABLE FOR IMPLEMENTING IT A method of controlling the attitude of a satellite (11) according to which the direction (S) of a predetermined celestial object is defined in a frame of reference related to the satellite, the instantaneous angular velocity vector (.omega.) of the satellite is detected and, by means of an actuating assembly (16), torques are applied to the satellite which are defined by a control law as as to rotate the satellite about this direction whilst orienting an aiming axis (SR) related to the satellite in this direction, involves defining this direction of the predetermined celestial object in a frame of reference related to the satellite by a first quantity representing a first angle (.alpha.,.alpha.') measured between an axis of sight (Zs, Zs') and the projection of this direction onto a first reference plane containing this axis of sight and by a second quantity representing a second angle (.beta.') defined by this axis of sight and the projection of this direction onto a second reference plane containing this axis sight, this second angle being calculated from this first angle and from the instantaneous angular velocity vector of the satellite, whilst a satellite for implementing the method includes a body (11); a sensor (13a, 13b) having the axis of sight (Zs); the actuating assembly (16); an attitude control unit (20) for generating signals for applying the said torques to the satellite; a unit (15) for measuring the rotation velocity; and a processing unit (21) calculating the said second quantity.
Abstract:
41 Roll and yaw attitude control method for a satellite stabilized about its roll, yaw and pitch axes and comprising a momentum wheel system generating a continuous angular momentum substantially parallel to the pitch axis and having a variable component at least approximately parallel to the roll-yaw plane and a continuously acting actuator system in which the roll and/or yaw attitude of the satellite is sensed, control signals are applied to the momentum wheel system that are produced by a fast control loop using a known fast control law and second control signals are applied to the continuously acting actuator system that are produced by a slow control loop using a known slow control law. The continuously acting actuator system is loaded in a fixed direction of the satellite parallel to the variable component if the latter has a fixed direction. At least a first additional control signal is applied to the momentum wheel system, chosen to yield a value of the fixed direction component of the angular momentum adapted to compensate in the long term drift of a second fixed direction component of the angular momentum. A second additional control signal is applied to the continuously acting actuator system that is adapted to cancel the effect of the first signal on the attitude with respect to the second fixed direction.
Abstract:
A method for control of the attitude of a satellite (11) according to which the direction (S) of a predetermined celestial object is defined in a reference frame tied to the satellite, the instantaneous angular velocity vector @ of the satellite is detected, and torques defined by a control law are applied to the satellite, via an actuation unit (16), so as to rotate the satellite about this direction whilst orienting a pointing axis @ tied to the satellite along this direction, characterised in that this direction of the predetermined celestial object in the reference frame tied to the satellite is defined by a first magnitude representative of a first angle ( alpha , alpha ') measured between an aiming axis (Zs, Zs') and the projection of this direction onto a first reference plane containing this aiming axis and by a second magnitude representative of a second angle ( beta ') defined by this aiming axis and the projection of this direction onto a second reference plane containing this aiming axis, this second angle being calculated from this first angle and from the instantaneous angular velocity vector of the satellite.