Abstract Low-cost solar sailing CubeSats for deep-space exploration are relatively inexpensive, have a short development time, and can be launched more often. However, attitude control of a solar sailing CubeSat is challenging due to the low controllability of the CubeSat itself. In this paper, a new attitude control method for the solar sailing CubeSat where solar radiation pressure torque, which is a torque generated by the satellite's center of mass offset with respect to its center of pressure, is used as the controlling torque. In this study, a mechanical structure to adjust the center of mass with the CubeSat as a movable mass is presented. The CubeSat's position on the solar sail's surface plane can be adjusted to control the attitude about the roll and pitch axes. Therefore, a dynamics model for the solar sailing CubeSat is derived and an attitude controller is developed. The method is demonstrated for the case of a 10 × 10 m2 sail with a 12-U CubeSat. The simulation results show that the solar sail attitude maneuver and sun pointing stability control are feasible when the initial and desired states satisfy the constraints. As a semi-active control method, the system can be combined with a micro flywheel control system for the attitude stability control of the CubeSat.
Highlights Semi-active control method with flywheel for CubeSat attitude stability control produced. CubeSat considered a movable mass that generates necessary amount of SRP control torque. New system can be used only as an auxiliary attitude control system at the present.
Solar sailing CubeSat attitude control method with satellite as moving mass
Acta Astronautica ; 159 ; 331-341
2019-03-26
11 pages
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
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