Patent ID: 6282467
Filing Date: 2001-08-28
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
A method of determining the attitude in an inertial frame of a spacecraft spinning about an axis in a body frame, the method comprising:determining a spacecraft momentum input vector direction in the inertial frame;determining a spacecraft momentum input vector direction in the body frame independently from the step of determining a spacecraft momentum input vector direction in the inertial frame;acquiring information from an at least single-axis sensor;generating a single axis sensor input vector from the information from the at least single axis sensor in the body frame;obtaining reference information on the at least single axis sensor to obtain a sensor reference vector in the inertial frame;inputting the spacecraft momentum input vector direction in the inertial frame, the spacecraft momentum input vector direction in the inertial frame, the momentum vector direction in the body frame, single axis sensor input vector, and the sensor reference vector to update the attitude in the inertial reference frame; andpropagating the attitude using data from one or more inertial sensors.