A system for controlling an aerospace vehicle by exploiting the dihedral effect to control bank angle of the vehicle by modulating sideslip. The control system includes a closed feedback loop comprising an outer loop for producing a sideslip angle command to induce a roll moment through the dihedral effect to satisfy a bank angle command, and an inner loop for taking the sideslip angle command, and possibly an angle of attack command to produce control input for flightpath hardware controls. Flightpath control hardware include pairs of flaps arranged longitudinally along the leading and trailing edges of an aeroshell of an aerospace entry vehicle to control pitch for changing the angle of attack, and another pair of flaps arranged laterally to control yaw for changing the bank angle via the sideslip angle, and also moving mass along ribs to control pitch and yaw. Thrusters can be fired to induce roll.

A method for providing optimized power balanced low thrust transfer orbits utilizing split thruster execution to minimize an electric orbit raising duration of an apparatus includes monitoring an electric power balance on the apparatus. The method also includes firing a first thruster in response to the apparatus exiting an eclipse and based on the electric power balance. The method additionally includes firing a second thruster at a predetermined time delay after firing the first thruster based on the electric power balance. The method additionally includes ending firing one of the first thruster or the second thruster after a predetermined time duration based on the electric power balance. The method further includes ending firing another of the first thruster or the second thruster in response to the apparatus entering a next eclipse.

A method for providing optimized power balanced low thrust transfer orbits utilizing split thruster execution to minimize an electric orbit raising duration of an apparatus includes monitoring an electric power balance on the apparatus. The method also includes firing a first thruster in response to the apparatus exiting an eclipse and based on the electric power balance. The method additionally includes firing a second thruster at a predetermined time delay after firing the first thruster based on the electric power balance. The method additionally includes ending firing one of the first thruster or the second thruster after a predetermined time duration based on the electric power balance. The method further includes ending firing another of the first thruster or the second thruster in response to the apparatus entering a next eclipse.

An attitude control apparatus (20) includes an ideal thrust direction calculator (22), an ideal attitude calculator (24), a target attitude calculator (26), and a torque calculator (28). The ideal thrust direction calculator (22) calculates an ideal thrust direction of a thruster. The target attitude calculator (26) calculates a target attitude that is the attitude of a satellite in which a deviation from an ideal attitude is minimized within a movement limitation of an attitude control actuator (14) while a panel surface faces the sun. The torque calculator (28) calculates a torque for turning the satellite from an actual attitude to the target attitude and transmits a torque instruction to the attitude control actuator (14).

An emergency deorbit device provided in a satellite flying on an orbit around the earth includes a propulsion module generating thrust for separating the satellite from the orbit, a reception unit receiving a repeat signal repeatedly sent at an interval from an sending unit of a satellite bus in the satellite, a detection unit outputting a detection signal when the reception unit does not receive the repeat signal in a set time period or when the reception unit receives a deorbit command from the sending unit or from an outside of the satellite, an activation device performing, in response to the detection signal, processing for activating the propulsion module, and a power supply device provided separately from a power supply device of the satellite bus and supplying electric power to the reception unit, the detection unit, and the activation device.

An emergency deorbit device provided in a satellite flying on an orbit around the earth includes a propulsion module generating thrust for separating the satellite from the orbit, a reception unit receiving a repeat signal repeatedly sent at an interval from an sending unit of a satellite bus in the satellite, a detection unit outputting a detection signal when the reception unit does not receive the repeat signal in a set time period or when the reception unit receives a deorbit command from the sending unit or from an outside of the satellite, an activation device performing, in response to the detection signal, processing for activating the propulsion module, and a power supply device provided separately from a power supply device of the satellite bus and supplying electric power to the reception unit, the detection unit, and the activation device.

A method of moving a spacecraft from an initial orbit to a final orbit includes providing a spacecraft with thrusters traveling in an initial orbit that has a first RAAN. Thrusters are activated to move the spacecraft into a transfer orbit having more eccentricity than the initial orbit. A RAAN of the transfer orbit changes over time toward a target RAAN. The spacecraft enters an aerobraking orbit wherein the spacecraft is exposed to increased atmospheric drag to reduce orbit energy and reduce an apoapsis radius. Thrusters may be activated to increase the periapsis radius of the aerobraking orbit and cause the spacecraft to move into the final orbit, the final orbit having a final RAAN different from the first RAAN.

A method of moving a spacecraft from an initial orbit to a final orbit includes providing a spacecraft with thrusters traveling in an initial orbit that has a first RAAN. Thrusters are activated to move the spacecraft into a transfer orbit having more eccentricity than the initial orbit. A RAAN of the transfer orbit changes over time toward a target RAAN. The spacecraft enters an aerobraking orbit wherein the spacecraft is exposed to increased atmospheric drag to reduce orbit energy and reduce an apoapsis radius. Thrusters may be activated to increase the periapsis radius of the aerobraking orbit and cause the spacecraft to move into the final orbit, the final orbit having a final RAAN different from the first RAAN.

A monolithic attitude control motor frame includes a monolithic structure including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending from the outer surface of revolution. Adjacent cavities of the plurality of cavities share a side wall or side wall portion therebetween. Each of the cavities is configured to receive an attitude control motor. A monolithic attitude control motor system includes a monolithic frame including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending radially from the outer surface of revolution. The system further includes a plurality of attitude control motors corresponding to the plurality of cavities, such that an attitude control motor of the plurality of attitude motors is disposed in each cavity of the plurality of cavities.

A monolithic attitude control motor frame includes a monolithic structure including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending from the outer surface of revolution. Adjacent cavities of the plurality of cavities share a side wall or side wall portion therebetween. Each of the cavities is configured to receive an attitude control motor. A monolithic attitude control motor system includes a monolithic frame including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending radially from the outer surface of revolution. The system further includes a plurality of attitude control motors corresponding to the plurality of cavities, such that an attitude control motor of the plurality of attitude motors is disposed in each cavity of the plurality of cavities.