Patent ID: 8321077
Filing Date: 2012-11-27
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
1. A method for orienting a blunt heat shield capsule-type spacecraft for an emergency ballistic atmospheric entry, said method comprising a) determining if the spacecraft is tumbling and, if so, canceling the attitude rate contributing to the tumbling to prevent the spacecraft from entering the atmosphere in an adverse attitude; and then b) maneuvering the spacecraft to a trim attitude or to a desired attitude, in terms of the aerodynamic angles, for heat-shield forward pointing so that the heat shield faces incoming airflow to counteract heat rate buildup inside the spacecraft; and then c) imparting a bank or roll rate to the spacecraft to null the average lift vector in order to prevent excessive deceleration loads on the crew, wherein spacecraft attitude and change of attitude information for conducting steps a), b), and c) are determined in an on-board computer by processing signals from a three-axis accelerometer system on board the spacecraft.