METHOD OF SPACECRAFT ORIENTATION AND DEVICE TO THIS END Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC B64G1/24 

FIELD: aerospace engineering.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method comprises measuring spacecraft angular motion parametres, generating and sending control signals to actuator mechanisms. Note here that cyclic computation of time moments of subsequent cycles of generation and sending of aforesaid signals is performed. Orientation standby and service operating conditions hardware is witched on for current time countdown period. Given coincidence of current and nest cycle estimated time intervals, service hardware is switched on and standby hardware is switched off. Spacecraft angular motion parametres are measured to send required control signals to actuators. Spacecraft orientation device can represent, for example, a plarformless inertial control system. It comprises central control unit, external data pickups and actuators. Additionally, it comprises units to control angular speed metres, external data pickup control units and time-program device. Aforesaid units and device are interconnected and connected to other elements of the system in compliance with the proposed method.

EFFECT: reduced power consumption, longer life and longer faultless operation.

2 cl, 2 dwg