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arXiv · 1910.13841

Gyro-Control of a Solar Sailing Satellite

Hendrik Willem Jordaan·Willem Herman Steyn
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Abstract

Recent successes in the deployment of sails in space have reduced the risk associated with solar sailing missions. The attitude control requirements for a solar sailing mission is low with only slow attitude maneuvers needed to maintain a stable attitude and produce a required solar thrust. Future science missions will require large attitude maneuvers with a fully deployed sail. This article investigates the current options for attitude control on solar sails and proposes a gyro-controlled solar sailing. This concept uses a spinning solar sail to construct a control moment gyroscope capable to produce large torques. Steering laws for performing attitude maneuvers and simulation results are presented which demonstrates the capabilities of such a solution.

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Hendrik Willem Jordaan, Willem Herman Steyn. 2019-10-29. Gyro-Control of a Solar Sailing Satellite. https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.13841

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