Patent ID: 6062512
Filing Date: 2000-05-16
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
A method of damping nutation (stabilization) and removing wobble of a spacecraft spinning about a given axis, the spacecraft provided with first and second momentum sources having linearly independent momentum components in the plane transverse to the given axis, the method comprising:sensing angular velocities of the spacecraft along orthogonal first and second axes in the transverse plane, and generating first and second angular velocity signals representative of the angular velocities along the respective first and second axes;processing the angular velocity signals to form first and second control signals representative of first and second desired torques for driving the first and second momentum sources, respectively, the desired torques having a first additive component proportional to the angular velocities for removing the wobble and a second additive component proportional to the first derivatives of the angular velocities for damping the nutation; anddriving the first and second momentum sources in dependence upon the respective first and second control signals.