Patent ID: 8800913
Filing Date: 2014-08-12
Classification: B64C,F42B

Abstract:
1. A divert and attitude control system for an aeronautical kill vehicle having a moment reference point lying along a longitudinal axis, comprising: a first thruster configured to produce a first force on the aeronautical kill vehicle proximate a first end of the aeronautical vehicle and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis within a first plane; a second thruster configured to produce a second force on the aeronautical kill vehicle proximate a second end of the aeronautical kill vehicle opposite the first end and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis within the first plane in a direction opposite that of the first force, and wherein the moment reference point lies between the first and second thrusters; a third thruster configured proximate the first end of aeronautical vehicle to produce a third force in the first plane substantially collinear with the first force in the opposite direction; a fourth thruster configured proximate the second end of the aeronautical vehicle to produce a fourth force in the first plane substantially collinear with the second force, and wherein the moment reference point lies between the third and fourth divert thrusters; wherein said first, second, third and fourth thrusters are each at a fixed and non-rotating position in the first plane, wherein said first, second, third and fourth thrusters produce first, second, third and fourth forces that are co-planar in the first plane and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis in the first plane, and a common gas source communicating with each of the first, second, third, and fourth thrusters, said common gas source comprising a gas generator with solid propellant grain; and a controller communicatively coupled to the common gas source and the thrusters to control the forces produced by the first, second, third and fourth thrusters to perform both divert and attitude control maneuvers only in the first plane.