System of controlling the attitude of a spinning satellite in earth orbits

Claim 1

A system of controlling the attitude of a spinning satellite comprising: a. means for detecting the instantaneous attitude H of said satellite in flight; b. means for detecting earth''s magnetic field B near the orbital position of said satellite; c. input means of the desired attitude Hf; d. means coupled to said two detecting means and to said input means for inducing a switching function S by performing the following operations: E H - Hf S E . (kB X B) where kB; unit vector of satellite''s spin axis e. means coupled to said means for inducing a switching function S for generating a control signal according to said switching function S, said generating means including weighting means for weighting said control signal so that it has a pattern weighted substantially at the middle between the two adjoining polarity switching points of said switching function S; f. means coupled to said means for generating a control signal for producing a control current according to said weighted control signal; and g. a magnetic control element coupled to said means for producing a control current for generating a dipole moment by said control current and mounted to said satellite in such a manner that the direction of said dipole moment is parallel to satellite''s spin axis kB.

Claim 2

A system of controlling the attitude of a spinning satellite comprising: a. means for detecting the instantaneous attitude H of said satellite in flight; b. means for detecting earth''s magnetic field B near the orbital position of said satellite; c. input means of the desired attitude Hf; d. means coupled to said two detecting means and to said input means for inducing a switching function S by performing the following operations: E H - Hf S E . (kB X B) where kB; unit vector of satellite''s spin axis e. means coupled to said means for inducing a switching function S for generating a control signal according to said switching function S, said generating means including weighting means for weighting said control signal so that it has a pattern weighted substantially at the middle between the two adjoining polarity switching points of said switching function S; f. means coupled to said means for generating a control signal for producing a control current according to said weighted control signal; and g. a magnetic control element coupled to said means for producing a control current for generating a dipole moment by said control current and mounted to said satellite in such a manner that the direction of said dipole moment is parallel to satellite''s spin axis kB.