Integrated orbit, attitude, and structural control system design for space solar power satellites

Abstract

The major objective of this study is to develop an integrated orbit, attitude, and structural control system architecture for very large Space Solar Power Satellites (SSPS) in geosynchronous orbit. This study focuses on the 1.2-GW "Abacus" SSPS concept characterized by a 3.2 × 3.2 km solar-array platform, a 500-m diameter microwave beam transmitting antenna, and a 500 × 700 m earth-tracking reflector. For this baseline Abacus SSPS configuration, we derive and analyze a complete set of mathematical models, including external disturbances such as solar radiation pressure, microwave radiation, gravity-gradient torque, and other orbit perturbation effects. The proposed control system architecture utilizes a minimum of 500 1-N electric thrusters to counter, simultaneously, the cyclic pitch gravity-gradient torque, the secular roll torque caused by an offset of the centerof-mass and center-of-pressure, the cyclic roll/yaw microwave radiation torque, and the solar radiation pressure force whose average value is about 60 N.

Coupling between structural deformation and attitude motion of large planar space structures suspended by multi-tethers

“…Although the coupling between structural deformation/vibration and attitude motion for long and narrow structures has been investigated extensively [1][2][3], research of planar structures is less common [4]. Furthermore, in the planar structures stabilized by tensile forces, tether slack is a significant problem because the dynamic characteristics of such structures could change drastically when the tension of any of the tethers becomes zero.…”

Gravitational orbit–attitude coupling dynamics of a large solar power satellite

“…Wie preliminarily studied the short-term orbital motion with external disturbances and designed a controller for orbit keeping. He also designed a PD controller for the attitude motion with the method of frequency band isolation [7,8]. Ian Mcally put forward an alternative solar power satellite orbital location, known as the geosynchronous Laplace plan (GLP), which is superior to geostationary in many aspects [9,10].…”

“…The orbit and attitude motions are assumed to be uncoupled [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Graf first analyzed the characteristics of the orbital motion of a SPS [6].…”

Feasibility study of a solar power satellite system configured by formation flying

“…1) have been presented [1,2] (summarized in Ref. [3]). It has been reported that many of them have problems in their electrical component, such as transportation of large amounts of electricity over long distances and in the rotation mechanism, and are subject to over-concentration, which makes the power management and distribution systems have the most massive structures [4].…”