2017/01/26 by Ravi Teja Nallapu, Nallapu, Ravi Teja, Amit Tallapragada +3
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) #Space Physics (physics.space-ph) #astro-ph.IM #physics.space-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1701.07545
7 pages, 11 figures in Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference 2017
arxiv created 2017/01/26 · arxiv updated 2017/01/27
CubeSats and small satellites are emerging as low-cost tools to perform astronomy, exoplanet searches and earth observation. These satellites can be dedicated to pointing at targets for weeks or months at a time. This is typically not possible on larger missions where usage is shared. Current satellites use reaction wheels and where possible magneto-torquers to control attitude. However, these actuators can induce jitter due to various sources. In this work, we introduce a new class of actuators that exploit radiometric forces induced by gasses on surface with a thermal gradient. Our work shows that a CubeSat or small spacecraft mounted with radiometric actuators can achieve precise pointing of few arc-seconds or less and avoid the jitter problem. The actuator is entirely solid-state, containing no moving mechanical components. This ensures high-reliability and long-life in space. A preliminary design for these actuators is proposed, followed by feasibility analysis of the actuator performance.