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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 4599697 | Digital PWPF three axis spacecraft attitude control A digital system for controlling the attitude of a spacecraft (14), e.g., a satellite, with respect to three orthogonal axes. The system can control satellites (14) in parking orbit, transfer orbit, or final operational orbit, whether or not the satellite... | 07/08/1986 |
| 4591117 | Spacecraft nutation damping An active nutation damping system for a spacecraft may comprise a nutation sensor controlling an actuator, a thruster say, via a control system so as to produce nutation opposing torques. Following the realization that performance limits on known systems ... | 05/27/1986 |
| 4585191 | Propulsion apparatus and method using boil-off gas from a cryogenic liquid A propulsion system and method is disclosed for controlling the attitude and drag of a space vehicle (10). A helium dewar (12) contains liquid helium (11) which cools an experiment package (22). The helium is heated or vented to keep the temperature betwe... | 04/29/1986 |
| 4550888 | Dual pressure solid propellant control system A dual pressure solid propellant control system capable of operating at temperatures of approximately 3000° F. and at multiple pressures. A solid propellant gas generator is connected to a plurality of valve clusters by a manifold, the valves and manifol... | 11/05/1985 |
| 4537375 | Method and apparatus for thruster transient control Transients and steady state error induced in maneuvering a satellite due to a disturbance torque caused by thrust mismatch or differential in the alignment of thrusters with respect to the center of mass are minimized by introducing a torque balancing bia... | 08/27/1985 |
| 4504031 | Aerodynamic braking and recovery method for a space vehicle A space vehicle 10 is steered from outer space toward the earth's atmosphere main rocket nozzle end first. An inflatable braking member 28 is deployed around the vehicle 10 by introducing gas into it. The main rocket motor 16 is ignited to produce a subst... | 03/12/1985 |
| 4471926 | Transfer vehicle for use in conjunction with a reusable space shuttle A spacecraft or transfer vehicle for transportation of a payload from a space shuttle parking orbit to a higher operation orbit, wherein the transfer vehicle utilizes housekeeping subsystems integrated into the payload, to avoid unnecessary duplication of... | 09/18/1984 |
| 4470568 | Method for changing the spin rate of a spinning body A method for changing the spin rate of a spinning spacecraft having a dynamic balancing mechanism which utilizes the communications channel between the spacecraft and the receiving terminal, the master index pulse generator on the spacecraft, and the spac... | 09/11/1984 |
| 4407469 | Attitude control system for spacecraft utilizing the thruster plume An attitude control system for spacecraft having thrusters utilizes the exhaust plume of the thrusters for attitude control. At least one of the thrusters is canted so that its reaction line of thrust, when misaligned with one of the spacecraft's primary ... | 10/04/1983 |
| 4386750 | Method of damping nutation motion with minimum spin axis attitude disturbance In a method of and apparatus for damping nutation of a spinning spacecraft (10), spin axis attitude disturbances are substantially reduced by controlling at least one nutation damping gas thruster (18) to fire with non-uniform gas pulses. During the begin... | 06/07/1983 |
| 4370716 | Active nutation control system for space vehicle An active nutation control system for a space vehicle spinning about a geometric axis has thrusters for creating an external torque about an axis transverse to the first. The amplitude of the nutation and its phase in relation with the spinning movement a... | 01/25/1983 |
| 4345729 | Thrust units A thrust unit for a space vehicle has a container in which an electrolyte is electrolyzed to produce combustible gases (for example, water producing hydrogen and oxygen). At a predetermined pressure the gases are ignited and combustion products are exhaus... | 08/24/1982 |
| 4288051 | Method and apparatus for controlling a satellite A satellite, especially a geostationary satellite which may be stabilized in its three major axes and which has a spin wheel or momentum wheel supporting a position control system and which also has an engine or propelling system, is controlled by actuati... | 09/08/1981 |
| 4174819 | Controller for the attitude stabilization of a satellite A controller for the attitude stabilization of a satellite. The controller odifies the action of a first control circuit by responding to the signals of attitude $c; and angular velocity of attitude $c; developed by the first control circuit. A secon... | 11/20/1979 |
| 4161780 | Spin rate timing system Apparatus for use in determining the orientation of a spinning spacecraft d for controlling the attitude motion thereof. In response to commands from an external processor, the apparatus enables a selected thruster at a commanded time delay after a solar-... | 07/17/1979 |
| 4084772 | Roll/yaw body steering for momentum biased spacecraft Roll and yaw attitude errors introduced by orbit inclination deviations from the nominal orbit plane are minimized by sinusoidally varying the momentum produced by a transverse wheel mounted on the spacecraft. The wheel is mounted on the spacecraft such t... | 04/18/1978 |
| 4023752 | Elimination of residual spacecraft nutation due to propulsive torques Spacecraft nutation caused by applying propulsive forces to a spacecraft along an axis which does not pass through the spacecraft's center of gravity is eliminated by a signal responsive control system which operates the propulsive forces for a predetermi... | 05/17/1977 |
| 3997137 | Minimization of residual spacecraft nutation due to disturbing torques Spacecraft nutation caused by applying attitude and/or orbit control forces to a spacecraft along an axis which does not pass through the spacecraft's center of gravity is minimized by a signal responsive control system which first operates the attitude a... | 12/14/1976 |
| 3984072 | Attitude control system An attitude control system for a space vehicle in which angular rate signals are generated by rate gyros mounted closely adjacent to gimbaled engines at the rear of a vehicle, and wherein error signals representative of a commanded change in vehicle angle... | 10/05/1976 |
| 3984071 | Satellite nutation attenuation apparatus An active attitude control apparatus for damping roll/yaw nutation motion within the control deadband of a satellite which is three-axis stabilized to local vertical by means of a pitch biased, body-fixed reaction wheel and offset roll-yaw thrusters. The ... | 10/05/1976 |
| 3977633 | Orientation system for a spin stabilized spacecraft A pair of reaction motors or thrusters connected to spin-stabilized spacecraft are used to reorient spacecraft attitude without affecting spacecraft velocity. The spacecraft reaction motors are arranged to produce a couple in response to an attitude refer... | 08/31/1976 |
| 3944172 | Attitude control for space vehicle Method of providing position, e.g. attitude control for space vehicles having control thrusters producing thrust for imparting momentum upon the vehicle, further having a control apparatus for the thrusters causing them to produce thrust bursts or pulses ... | 03/16/1976 |
| 3937423 | Nutation and roll error angle correction means A system for controlling the attitude of a vehicle along three-axes is provided with a simple momentum wheel of one degree of freedom and several jets so as to enable correction of attitude error and dampen nutation action of the vehicle. The jets are con... | 02/10/1976 |
