Attitude Control Testbed in Vacuum
Abstract
The orbital industry is actively growing with a rapid increase in spacecraft injected into orbit each year. Many testbeds exist which make it possible to simulate various aspects of an orbital environment for the purpose of testing these spacecrafts. To simulate spacecraft rotation about three spatial axes in microgravity, many engineers use gyroscopes. However, the rings in these gyroscope systems inherently exert frictional forces on each other and do not account for gravity, which decreases their micro-gravity simulation accuracy. The objective of the Attitude Control Testbed in Vacuum (ACTIV) project is to design a gyroscope that uses electric motors housed in each rotational axis to provide an opposing torque to those produced by gravity and friction to simulate a microgravity environment. This controlled gyroscope will be designed to allow for spacecraft ranging from 3U to 12U in size so that varying spacecraft designs may be tested. This research project will be a continuation of the ongoing CubeSat Reaction Wheel Attitude Control Platform, which will provide three CubeSat testbeds to be used in the controlled gyroscope.
Attitude Control Testbed in Vacuum
The orbital industry is actively growing with a rapid increase in spacecraft injected into orbit each year. Many testbeds exist which make it possible to simulate various aspects of an orbital environment for the purpose of testing these spacecrafts. To simulate spacecraft rotation about three spatial axes in microgravity, many engineers use gyroscopes. However, the rings in these gyroscope systems inherently exert frictional forces on each other and do not account for gravity, which decreases their micro-gravity simulation accuracy. The objective of the Attitude Control Testbed in Vacuum (ACTIV) project is to design a gyroscope that uses electric motors housed in each rotational axis to provide an opposing torque to those produced by gravity and friction to simulate a microgravity environment. This controlled gyroscope will be designed to allow for spacecraft ranging from 3U to 12U in size so that varying spacecraft designs may be tested. This research project will be a continuation of the ongoing CubeSat Reaction Wheel Attitude Control Platform, which will provide three CubeSat testbeds to be used in the controlled gyroscope.