EFFECTS OF ENERGY DISSIPATION ON ATTITUDE STABILITY OF DUAL-SPIN SATELLITES

The attitude behavior of a dual-spin satellite with a damping mechanism on each of its rotating sections is investigated by means of Floquet theory. Parameter selections for the Floquet study are guided by the results of a preliminary analysis that employs the method of Routhian arrays. Several numerical examples are presented, and the results obtained are compared with predictions based on various approximate analyses. Although this comparison generally reveals at least qualitative agreement, it is found in some cases that the limitations of the approximate analyses make it advisable to confirm the suitability of a preliminary design by means of more exact methods such as the Floquet procedure described in this paper. Substantial support is provided for the proposition that properly designed dual-spin spacecraft can be asymptotically stable in spin about the centroidal principal axis of minimum as well as maximum moment of inertia even in the presence of energy dissipation. © 1969 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., All rights reserved.