In 1985, two non-attitude-controlled satellites were each placed in a low earth orbit by the Scout Launch Vehicle. The satellites were cylindrical in shape and contained reservoirs of hydrazine fuel. Three-axis magnetometer measurements, telemetered in real time, were used to derive the attitude motion of each satellite. Algorithms are generated to deduce possible orientations (and magnitudes) of each vehicle's angular momentum for each telemetry contact. To resolve ambiguities at each contact, a force model was derived to simulate the significant long-term effects of magnetic, gravity gradient, and aerodynamic torques on the angular momentum of the vehicles. The histories of the orientation and magnitude of the angular momentum are illustrated.


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    Title :

    Attitude Motion of a Non-Attitude-Controlled Cylindrical Satellite


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1988


    Size :

    18 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English