Patent ID: 6253125
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
In a control system for a satellite including an orbit propagator constructed to predict a current state vector including position, velocity and epoch for use in the functional control of the satellite, a series of computer modules for processing said current state vector comprising:a first processor connected to receive said current state vector and generate a first set of vector products independent of attitude;an attitude profile generator connected to receive the first set of vector products and generate an attitude profile based thereon;a second processor connected to receive said first set of vector products and said attitude profile, and, based on said received data, said second processor generating a second set of vector products dependent on attitude;a sensor processor connected to receive reference data sensed by sensor arrays mounted on the satellite; anda closed loop function control processor constructed of control modules operated by software designed to provide error correction data to multiple actuators relating to specified functions of the satellite, each of said control modules connected to receive selected vector products of said first and second set, said selected vector products being related to the assigned function of the module, each of said control modules also connected to receive corresponding sensed data, and each module comparing the predicted values of said vector products with said sensed data to calculate a correction.