Patent ID: 6019320
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
A method for acquiring Sun pointing in a three-axis stabilized spacecraft with roll, pitch, and yaw mutually orthogonal axes, wherein the spacecraft has a body, the Sun having an attitude relative to the body expressed as the instantaneous Sun vector, the Sun having an initial attitude relative to the body expressed as an initial Sun vector and the Sun having a preferred attitude relative to the body expressed as a preferred final Sun vector, wherein the spacecraft also includes at least one solar wing, the at least one solar wing rotatable about an axis parallel to the pitch axis, and the at least one solar wing having a preferred attitude relative to the Sun, and wherein the spacecraft further has at least one Sun sensor coupled to rotate with at least one solar wing, each Sun sensor operable to detect the attitude of the Sun relative to the solar wing to which the Sun sensor is attached within the Sun sensor field of view, the method comprising:slewing at least one solar wing until the Sun is detected;determining the initial Sun vector;performing one or more rotations of the spacecraft body so as to bring the instantaneous Sun vector coincident with the preferred final Sun vector, wherein at least one rotation is about an optimal axis; andslewing at least one solar wing to the preferred attitude relative to the Sun.