METHOD OF CONTROLLING ORBITING SPACECRAFT Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC B64G1/24 B64G1/44 B64G1/50 

FIELD: physics; control.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to controlling movement of a spacecraft fitted with a heat radiator and a solar panel. The method includes flying the spacecraft on an orbit around a planet and turning the solar panel in a position corresponding to the alignment of the normal to the working surface of the solar panel with the direction towards the Sun; performing orbital orientation of the spacecraft, where the plane of rotation of the solar panel is parallel to the plane of the orbit of the spacecraft and the solar panel is located relative to the plane of the orbit on the side of the Sun; determining the maximum value of the angle between the velocity vector of the spacecraft and the perpendicular to the transverse axis of rotation of the solar panel, passing through the surface of the radiator; determining the orbital altitude of the spacecraft and the angle between the direction towards the Sun and the plane of the orbit of the spacecraft; based on the orbital altitude and the angle, determining the orbit passes where the duration of the illuminated part of the pass exceeds the difference between the orbiting period of the spacecraft and the required duration of the heat release by the radiator on the pass; on the said orbit passes, when the spacecraft passes through the illuminated part of the pass, the solar panel is turned around the transverse axis of rotation until the intersection of the line passing through the region of the surface of the radiator facing the Sun and directed towards the Sun with the solar panel; turning the solar panel around the longitudinal axis of rotation until the angle between the normal to the working surface of the solar panel and the direction towards the Sun assumes a minimum value. The said solar panel rotations are performed within a calculated time interval.

EFFECT: high efficiency of the radiator by creating conditions for natural cooling thereof during eclipse of the solar panel for any altitude of an almost circular orbit of the spacecraft.

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