Three-Axis Electric Propulsion Attitude Control System with a Dual-Axis Gimbaled Thruster

Randolph, Thomas; McElrath, Timothy P.; Collins, Steven M.; Oh, David Y.

doi:10.2514/6.2011-5586

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Alternatively, one could think to use a series of consecutive mirror maneuvers, performed by both slewing the S/C and rotating the gimbal of 90 • [11]. In this case, unfortunately, the gimbal must have a large excursion range and the propellant is completely wasted since the thrust is not directed in the desired direction.…”

Section: Beta Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

Autonomous Wheel Off-Loading Strategies for Deep-Space CubeSats

Pizzetti

Rizza

Topputo

2022

Aerotec. Missili Spaz.

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Deep-space CubeSats missions require careful trade-offs on design drivers such as mass, volume, and cost, while ensuring autonomous operations. This work elaborates the possibility of off-loading the reaction wheels without the need of carrying a bulky and expensive reaction control system or the field-dependent magnetotorquers. The momentum accumulated along two body axes can be removed by either offsetting the main thruster with a gimbal mechanism or by tilting differentially the solar wings. The dumping on the third axis can be still accomplished by imposing a specific attitude trajectory with the motion of either the gimbal or the arrays drive mechanism. The M-Argo CubeSat is selected as case study to test the techniques along its deep-space trajectory. The strategies decision-making is autonomously carried out by a state machine. The off-loading during the cruising arcs employs the gimballed thruster and takes typically 3 h, granting a mass savings of more than 99% with respect to the usage of a reaction control system. The trajectory is shown to have negligible differences with respect to the nominal one, since the thrust is corrected accordingly. During the coasting arcs, the solar arrays are tilted and several hours are required, depending on the Sun direction and intensity, but the propellant is completely saved. Sensitivity analyses are also carried out on the initial angular momentum components and the center of mass displacement to check the robustness of the algorithms.

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Section: Beta Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

Autonomous Wheel Off-Loading Strategies for Deep-Space CubeSats

Pizzetti

Rizza

Topputo

2022

Aerotec. Missili Spaz.

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“…19,20 In Spiral Thrusting, reaction wheel assemblies (RWAs) are used to continuously maneuver the spacecraft attitude to walk the commanded thrust vector around a cone centered on the nominal inertial thrust direction (see Figure 3). A momentum unloading control law evaluates the current stored RWA momentum and positions the SPT gimbals to produce torques that continuously unload accumulated momentum in the 2 axes transverse to the thrust line.…”

Section: Spiral Thrusting Momentum Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility of All-Electric Three Axis Momentum Management for Deep Space Small Body Rendezvous

Oh¹,

Collins²,

Randolph³

et al. 2014

50th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference

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An all-electric approach to deep space missions offers significant benefits to spacecraft designers. The absence of a chemical propulsion system and the associated hazardous operations from the spacecraft offers a dramatically easier spacecraft integration process and simpler launch base operations. This paper provides a survey of different methods that can be used to accomplish three axis momentum management during the interplanetary transit ("cruise") portions of deep space Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) missions without the use of chemical propulsion. The strategies described are based on the use of xenon ion or Hall effect thrusters, which are used alone or in combination with a xenon cold gas system. The methods described use currently existing flight-qualified hardware and apply only to the cruise phase of the mission. It is shown that the use of existing flight hardware combined with the existence of previously flown momentum management flight software for Earth orbit, existing experience with all-chemical momentum management in deep space, and the option to implement "primary" and "backup" momentum management methods using common hardware, all lead to the conclusion that all-electric momentum management can be effectively implemented on deep space small body rendezvous missions with relatively low development, implementation, and operational risk. Nomenclature e = elementary charge ν z = axial ion velocity B r = radial magnetic field E z = axial electric field Fθ = azimuthal force acting on an ion F z = axial force acting on an ion I sp = specific impulse L = acceleration scale length M = ion mass R = mean discharge chamber radius T = total thrust U z = potential drop over the acceleration scale length

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“…The 3-axis system employed consists of 4 miniature momentum wheels with an approximated combined mass of 0.2kg and a power of 5W. Highly efficient methods for despinning the momentum wheel system have been developed utilizing a gimbaled electric thruster 25 . Future iterations of LuMi may therefore incorporate a gimbaled propulsion system.…”

Section: Power Subsystemmentioning

confidence: 99%

CubeSat Lunar Mission Using a Miniature Ion Thruster

Conversano¹,

Wirz²

2011

47th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference &Amp;amp; Exhibit

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The feasibility of CubeSats utilizing the Miniature Xenon Ion (MiXI) thruster for lunar missions is the focus of this investigation. The successful heritage, simplicity, and low cost of CubeSats make them attractive candidates for scientific missions to the Moon. This investigation presents the first-order design process for developing a lunar mission CubeSat. The results from this process are then applied to a 3U CubeSat equipped with a MiXI thruster and specifically designed to reach the lunar surface from a low Earth orbit. The small, 3cm diameter MiXI thruster utilized is capable of producing 0.1-1.553mN of thrust with a specific impulse of over 3000s and is projected to be capable of generating over 7000m/s of ∆V for a CubeSat mission. With all margins and contingencies considered, the total power required for the CubeSat using a 40W ion thruster is approximately 92W during daylight operations. With an assumed solar incidence angle of 45°, this power can be generated from a Spectrolab UTJ solar array of 0.35m 2. Thermal calculations show an average spacecraft surface temperature of approximately 59°C during daylight operations and 0°C during eclipse, which are within the operational and survivable temperature ranges of the spacecraft subsystems. A low-thrust trajectory model is utilized to calculate and plot Earth-Moon trajectories.

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Three-Axis Electric Propulsion Attitude Control System with a Dual-Axis Gimbaled Thruster

Cited by 7 publications

References 12 publications

Autonomous Wheel Off-Loading Strategies for Deep-Space CubeSats

Autonomous Wheel Off-Loading Strategies for Deep-Space CubeSats

Feasibility of All-Electric Three Axis Momentum Management for Deep Space Small Body Rendezvous

CubeSat Lunar Mission Using a Miniature Ion Thruster

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