Patent ID: 6381520
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
A control system disposed on a satellite for controlling pointing of a solar array, comprising:an orbit propagator that computes and outputs satellite orbital location data and a sun vector referenced to an inertial reference frame; a coordinate transformation processor for processing the sun vector in the inertial reference frame and a satellite attitude signal to generate a sun vector referenced to a satellite body reference frame; a solar array position processor that for processing a step count and a sensed solar array position output of a solar array position sensor to generate an estimate of the solar array position; a summing device for processing the position estimate from the solar array position processor, the body frame sun vector, and a bias signal, to produce a solar array position error signal; a filter for filtering the solar array position error signal output by the summing device; a current regulator processor for processing a measured solar array current to produce a solar array position error signal; an eclipse processor for processing the satellite orbital location data output by the orbit propagator, the solar array position error output signal derived from the current regulator processor, and the filtered solar array position error output signal to generate a step command; and wherein the solar array pointing control system processes the step command to generate control signals that point the solar array at the sun.