Space Vehicle Stabilization Using Angular Velocity Sensors Sign And Gas Jets Actuators

Abstract

This paper presents the control system and its sub-systems of a Sub-Orbital
Platform (PSO), which apply a new procedure to perform the spin reduction of the platform.
The PSO control system is based on a hardware architecture composed of a gyrometric
block, an on board computer and an hydrazine gas jet system. Four thrusters strategically
placed across the vehicle longitudinal axis, which is not coincident with the mass centre, are
used as actuators. The software implemented instead of working with the Platform angular
velocities values, it has an algorithm that uses only the sign of the angular velocity. That
strategy is applied because the gyros only measure rotation below 3,4rpm, and considering
that in the beginning the rotation of the PSO is approximately 300rpm, that values therefore,
is out of scale not being possible to be sensed by the gyros. The computer simulations showing
the efficiency and the good performance of the control system proposed. are presented.
Besides, the PSO control system hardware and software are discussed.