Chapters authored
Investigation of Singularities in a 3/4 CMG Configuration with Mixed Skew Angles
This paper discusses the singularities that exist within a 3/4 CMG configuration when the CMGs are placed at mixed skew angles. CMGs are typically mounted with the same skew angles and are fixed throughout the spacecraft’s lifetime. Changing these skew angles can bring about unique attributes for the spacecraft such as an increased pitch, roll or yaw capability. Mapping out these singularities when each CMG is mounted differently can show an engineer how to maximize these capabilities and enhance a spacecraft’s mission completion ability. Using singularity penetration logic, the spacecraft’s attitude controls system can pass through these singularities. These singularities would best be avoided to provide optimal control. Finding these limited singularity penetration regions is the focus of this paper. Different mixed skew configurations appear to be more ideal than others for spacecraft that focus on maneuvers about only one axis of rotation.
Part of the book: Advances in Spacecraft Attitude Control