Attitude control and damping system for spacecraft

Claim 1

A FINE ATTITUDE CONTROL AND DAMPING SYSTEM FOR A NONSPINNING SPACECRAFT COMPRISING: A FIRST FLYWHEEL MOUNTED ON A FIRST DOUBLE GIMBAL; A SECOND FLYWHEEL MOUNTED ON A SECOND DOUBLE GIMBAL; A THIRD FLYWHEEL MOUNTED ON THIRD DOUBLE GIMBAL; A FOURTH FLYWHEEL MOUNTED ON A FOURTH DOUBLE GIMBAL; MEANS FOR IMPARTING EQUAL BUT OPPOSITE ANGULAR MOMENTA TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLYWHEELS; MEANS FOR IMPARTING EQUAL BUT OPPOSITE MOMENTA TO SAID THIRD AND FOURTH FLYWHEELS; SAID FIRST AND SECOND DOUBLE GIMBALS LOCATED ON A FIRST AXIS OF SAID SPACECRAFT AND IN SYNCHRONIZED INITIAL POSITIONS SUCH THAT SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLYWHEELS PRODUCE ANGULAR MOMENTS ABOUT SAID FIRST AXIS THAT CANCEL AND DO NOT PRODUCE ANY TORQUE ABOUT A SECOND AXIS AND A THIRD AXIS; SAID THIRD AND FOURTH DOUBLE GIMBALS LOCATED ON SAID THIRD AXIS OF SAID SPACECRAFT AND IN SYNCHRONIZED INITIAL POSITIONS SUCH THAT SAID THIRD AND FOURTH FLYWHEELS PRODUCE ANGULAR MOMENTA ABOUT SAID THIRD AXIS THAT CANCEL AND DO NOT PRODUCE ANY TORQUE ABOUT SAID FIRST AND SECOND AXES; MEANS FOR APPLYING TORQUES TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND DOUBLE GIMBALS TO CAUSE SAID FIRST AND SECOND FLYWHEELS TO PRECESS IN SYNCHRONISMS AND APPLY TORQUES ABOUT SAID SECOND AND THIRD AXES; AND MEANS FOR APPLYING TORQUES TO SAID THIRD AND FOURTH DOUBLE GIMBALS TO CAUSE SAID THIRD AND FOURTH FLYWHEELS TO PRECESS IN SYNCHRONISM AND APPLY TORQUES ABOUT SAID FIRST AND SECOND AXES WHEREBY THE ATTITUDE OF SAID SPACECRAFT CAN BE CONTROLLED ABOUT EACH OF SAID THREE AXES.