Deployment of Long Flexible Element on Spacecraft with Magnetic Damper

Abstract

The present paper deals with the study of the dynamics of a spacecraft with a gravitational system of stabilization, with a magnetic damper, and pitch flywheel. Primarily the boom of the gravitational stabilizer is a prestressed tape wound on a special drum. When the drum starts deploying the tape, its takes the shape of an elastic long boom with the mass on its tip. The objective of the study is the mechanical and mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of the spacecraft dynamics. The equations of motion are derived with the use of the Eulerian-Lagrangian formalism. The information, which is obtained by a numerical simulation, gives the conclusion that the deployment and functioning of the spacecraft can be used to design a rational choice of parameters of the spacecraft. The data obtained allow choosing of the most suitable law of deployment and parameters of the magnetic damper. A detailed simulation has allowed analyzing the dynamic behavior of the design at various values of parameters of the spacecraft with the gravitational stabilizer. Data obtained facilitate selection the most appropriate deployment, structure and damper parameters.