Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Astrodynamics
Analysis Of Gravity-Gradient Satellite Attitude Inversion, Jules-Francois D. Desamours
Analysis Of Gravity-Gradient Satellite Attitude Inversion, Jules-Francois D. Desamours
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this research is to understand and describe the process by which the 1986 Polar BEAR gravity- gradient research satellite of John Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory achieved an orbital attitude correction (re-inversion) from an inverted orientation through the utilization of its momentum wheel. Understanding this process provides an analytical foundation from which a universal attitude inversion process for other gravity-gradient satellites with similar anomalous motions may be sought and developed. The equations of motion for a gravity-gradient satellite with a momentum wheel are derived and implemented in FORTRAN for simulation of the dynamics of the spacecraft. Several re-inversion …