Navigation, Guidance, Control and Dynamics Commons^™

Three-Axis Stabilized Earth Orbiting Spacecraft Simulator, Alan F. Ma, Nikola N. Dominikovic

Aerospace Engineering

This report details the method and results of the program created for simulating an Earth orbiting spacecraft with control actuators and orbital perturbations. The control actuators modeled are reaction thrusters, reaction/momentum wheels, and control moment gyros (CMG). The perturbations modeled were gravity gradient, electromagnetic torques, solar radiation pressure, gravity gradients, third-body effects, Earth oblateness and atmospheric drag. This simulation allows for satellite control in all 6 degrees of freedom for any Earth orbiting spacecraft. Assumptions include rigid body dynamics, no sensor noise, constant spacecraft cross-sectional area, constant coefficient of drag and reflectivity, ignoring the effects due to the moon, moment …