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Mechanism-free control method of solar/thermal radiation pressure for application to attitude control

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A Correction to this article was published on 11 February 2022

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Abstract

Solar radiation pressure (SRP) impinging on spacecraft is usually regarded as a disturbance for attitude motion, but it can be harnessed to solve the very problem it creates. Active SRP control is possible with solar radiation powered thin-film devices such as reflectivity control devices or liquid crystal devices with reflective microstructure. Thermal radiation pressure (TRP) can likewise be used to solve flight attitude problems caused by SRP, TRP, or other factors. TRP on solar cells can be controlled by switching regulators under the control of them, resulting in temperature change. These SRP/TRP controls are free from mechanisms, such as reaction wheels, and thus they do not produce internal disturbances. In addition, the magnitude of SRP/TRP torques is generally much smaller than internal disturbance torques produced by reaction wheels, which creates a potential for precision far beyond that achieved with mechanical controls. This paper summarizes how SRP/TRP can be used by means of numerical simulations of typical control methods. The usefulness of this mechanism-free attitude control is verified for future use on both Earth orbiting satellites and interplanetary spacecraft including solar sails.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Kosuke Akatsuka for his contribution to the preliminary study of TRP supplementary control for gravity gradient stabilization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan

    Toshihiro Chujo

  2. Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, 252-5258, Japan

    Motoki Watanabe

  3. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, 252-5210, Japan

    Osamu Mori

Authors
  1. Toshihiro Chujo
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  2. Motoki Watanabe
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  3. Osamu Mori
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Toshihiro Chujo.

Additional information

Toshihiro Chujo received his Ph.D. degree in engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan, in 2017. He is currently an assistant professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology. He was previously a postdoctoral researcher at Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), working on the Solar Power Sail OKEANOS mission and the Transformable Spacecraft mission. His main field of study includes spacecraft system, mission analysis, and astrodynamics.

Motoki Watanabe received his master degree in engineering from Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan, in 2019. He was engaged in the Solar Power Sail OKEANOS mission at Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). His main field of study is astrodynamics.

Osamu Mori received his Ph.D. degree in engineering from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, in 2002. He is currently an assistant professor at Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). His research includes spacecraft systems, multibody dynamics, guidance, navigation and control. He is a project manager of the IKAROS mission and a core member of the OKEANOS mission.

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Chujo, T., Watanabe, M. & Mori, O. Mechanism-free control method of solar/thermal radiation pressure for application to attitude control. Astrodyn 4, 205–222 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-019-0062-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42064-019-0062-0

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