DETERMINATION OF THE ORIENTATION OF THE AXIS OF A ROCKET OR SATELLITE IN ITS TRAJECTORY OR ORBIT

Abstract

A method is developed for determining the aspect of the axis of a rocket or satellite with respect to an earth based system of coordinates for the case where these bodies undergo a constant precessional motion about some fixed direction. The analysis is based on data obtained from a magnetometer mounted on the body. The only information needed for the determination of the aspect of the axis is the maximum and minimum axial components of the earth's magnetic field, the maximum and minimum angles between the axis of the body and the Sun Vector, the time sequence in which these maximums and minimums occur, and the angular velocity of precession.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 16, 1963
Accession Number
AD0424989

Entities

People

  • Rene J. Marcou

Organizations

  • Boston College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Cartesian Coordinates
  • Detectors
  • Equations
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • Grids
  • Longitude
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Massachusetts
  • Orbits
  • Precession
  • Rotation
  • Sequences
  • Trajectories
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics.
  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Structural Dynamics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers