Patent ID: 9045241
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
1. A method for reducing an angular momentum of a spacecraft, the spacecraft comprising: a propulsion device able to generate a torque of modulatable amplitude along a Z axis, the Z axis corresponding substantially to an axis of maximum inertia or minimum inertia of the spacecraft, an X axis and a Y axis forming with Z a direct orthogonal frame attached to the spacecraft; an angular momentum accumulating device, able to generate and control, via control of angular velocities of flywheels belonging to the angular momentum accumulating device, an angular momentum and a torque along the X, Y and Z axes; and a set of sensors able to measure angular velocities ω wherein said method comprises: a first step of aligning the angular momentum of the spacecraft along the Z axis, which includes slaving the angular momentum of the angular momentum accumulating device along the X axis and the Y axis, respectively, to the angular velocity of the spacecraft, along the Y axis and the X axis, respectively, creating gyroscopic torques that tend to reduce the angular velocities of the spacecraft along the X and Y axes; and a second step of reducing the angular momentum of the spacecraft by means of a Z-axis torque generated by the propulsion device.