Solar Pressure Control of a Dual-Spin Satellite

Nutation damping and attitude control of a spinning satellite using solar radiation pressure is studied for the general case of attutide motion in an arbitrary orbit. The nonlinear, nonautonomous, coupled equations of motion involving large numbers of parameters are only amenable to a numerical approach. The response data, presented as functions of the system parameters, show the controller's effectivenss in damping the most severe disturbances in a fraction of an orbit. The controller provides versatility to the satellite, enabling it to change its preferred orientation in orbit and, hence, undertake diverse missions. An illustrative example using mass properties representative of INTELSATIV and the Canadian communications satellite (Anik-1) demonstrates the feasibility of the concept. The semipassive character promises an increased lifetime with an effective reduction in cost.