Inventors:
Tung Y Liu - Union City CA
Kam K Chan - San Jose CA
Assignee:
Space Systems/Loral, Inc. - Palo Alto CA
International Classification:
B64G 126
Abstract:
A spacecraft includes a plurality of thrusters mounted at predetermined locations on a spacecraft structure, individual ones the plurality of thrusters being fired for generating a torque about a desired axis. The firing of a thruster is partitioned into two firings that are offset in time by an amount. DELTA. t, wherein. DELTA. t=(1/2). times. (1/F). times. SF, where F is a dominant modal frequency, in Hertz, for any particular axis (nominally the 1st mode) of the spacecraft structure, and where SF is a scale factor that is adjustable about the frequency. In a presently preferred embodiment the thruster is a low thrust thruster that is mounted on a solar array panel, and the thrusters are fired in pairs.