Patent ID: 9227740
Filing Date: 2016-01-05
CPC Classification: B64G

Claim Text:
1. Device for controlling the attitude of a satellite exploiting solar pressure, comprising at least two solar generators arranged on either side of a central body of the satellite, extending along a rotation axis of said solar generators, each solar generator having one face to be exposed to the Sun, referred to as “front face”, said device further comprising at least three surfaces whose optical properties can be commanded, wherein said surfaces whose optical properties can be commanded are arranged: on flaps connected to solar generators, each flap being fixed with respect to the solar generator to which said flap is connected, and such that at least two of said surfaces whose optical properties can be commanded are not parallel when the front faces of the solar generators are parallel, wherein said device comprises a command module adapted to command separately the optical properties of each surface whose optical properties can be commanded, said command module being configured to command said surfaces whose optical properties can be commanded so as to create torques around three independent axes without de-pointing the solar generators with respect to the Sun.