The effect of solar radiation pressure on the attitude control of an Artificial Earth Satellite

Abstract

This report presents an account of the demand made by solar radiation pressure 6n the attitude-control system of an earth satellite whose external configuration is in the shape of a rectangular prism, the surfaces being assumed to be perfectly reflecting. Expressions determining the amount of angular impulse that must be supplied by an attitude-control system in the course of a year in order to provide perfect stabilisation for a space-stabilised satellite, and an earth-pointing satellite in a non-precessing orbit, are developed. Examples are given for particular cases and further examples include a comparison of the radiation-pressure torque with the torque set up by the earth's gravitational field, and the attitude deviations arising as a result of radiation pressure on an earth-pointing satellite employing gravity-gradient stabilisation alone.