Propulsion system in two modules for satellite orbit control and attitude control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9957067-B2
Application number	US-201414298558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2014
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A propulsion system for the orbit control of a satellite in Earth orbit driven at a rate of displacement along an axis V tangential to the orbit comprises two propulsion modules, fixed to the satellite, and facing one another relative to the plane of the orbit, each of the propulsion modules comprising, in succession: a motorized rotation link about an axis parallel to the axis V; an offset arm; and a plate supporting two thrusters, suitable for delivering a thrust on an axis, arranged on the plate on either side of a plane P at right angles to the axis V passing through a center of mass of the satellite; each of the two thrusters being oriented in such a way that the thrust axes of the two thrusters are parallel to one another and at right angles to the axis V.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A propulsion system for the orbit control of a satellite in Earth orbit driven at a rate of displacement along an axis V tangential to the orbit, comprising two propulsion modules, fixed to the satellite, and facing one another relative to the plane of the orbit, each of the propulsion modules comprising, in succession:
a motorized rotation link rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis V,
an offset arm, and
a plate supporting two thrusters, each of the two thrusters being suitable for delivering a thrust on an axis, the two thrusters being arranged on the plate on either side of a plane P at right angles to the axis V and passing through a centre of mass of the satellite; each of the two thrusters being oriented in such a way that the thrust axes of the two thrusters are parallel to one another and at right angles to the axis V.

2. The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein the two thrusters of each of the propulsion modules are arranged on the plate substantially at equal distances from the plane P.

3. The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two thrusters of each of the two propulsion modules is associated with a redundant thruster arranged on the plate in proximity to said thruster, and in such a way that its thrust axis is contained in a plane parallel to the plane P and containing the thrust axis of said thruster.

4. The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two thrusters of each of the two propulsion modules is associated with a redundant thruster arranged on the plate in proximity to said thruster, and in such a way that its thrust axis is contained in a plane containing the thrust axes of the two thrusters.

5. The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein the motorized link linking the offset arm to the satellite, the plate being linked to the offset arm in order to be driven in rotation about said rotation axis by said offset arm and the motorized link of each of the two propulsion modules allows the rotation of the plate between:
a storage position, suitable for the launching of the satellite; the offset arm of said propulsion module being held against the satellite, and
an operational position, configured in such a way that the plane containing the thrust axes of the two thrusters of said propulsion module passes in proximity to the centre of mass CM of the satellite.

6. The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two propulsion modules also comprises, between the offset arm and the plate of said propulsion module, a second motorized rotation link about an axis T at right angles to both the axis V and the thrust axes of the two thrusters of said propulsion module.

7. The propulsion system according to claim 6 , wherein each of the two propulsion modules further comprises, between the second motorized link and the plate, a second offset arm.

8. The propulsion system according to claim 6 , wherein each offset arm provides an only offset arm of respective propulsion module.

9. A satellite in Earth orbit provided with a propulsion system according to claim 1 .

10. An inclination control method for a satellite in geostationary orbit comprising a propulsion system according to claim 1 , comprising:
displacing a first of the two propulsion modules, by means of its motorized link, in such a way that the plane containing the thrust axes of its two thrusters passes in proximity to the centre of mass CM of the satellite,
simultaneously activating the two thrusters of said first propulsion module in proximity to a first orbital node,
displacing the second of the two propulsion modules, by means of its motorized link, in such a way that the plane containing the thrust axes of its two thrusters passes in proximity to the centre of mass CM of the satellite,
simultaneously activating the two thrusters of said second propulsion module in proximity to a second orbital node, opposite the first orbital node.

11. An orbit transfer method for a satellite comprising a propulsion system according to claim 1 , comprising:
for each of the two propulsion modules, orienting the thrusters, by means of the motorized link, in such a way that the plane containing the thrust axes of the thrusters is parallel to the plane of the orbit,
simultaneously activating the thrusters of the two propulsion modules.

12. A method for controlling the kinetic moment of a satellite comprising a kinetic moment accumulation device and a propulsion system according to claim 1 , comprising:
orienting the thrusters of the two propulsion modules by means of their motorized link in one and the same angular position,
simultaneously activating the two duly oriented thrusters, so as to generate, on the satellite, a torque about the axis V.

13. A method for controlling the kinetic moment of a satellite comprising a kinetic moment accumulation device and a propulsion system according to claim 1 , comprising:
orienting the thrusters of at least one of the propulsion modules by means of the motorized link of said at least one propulsion module,
activating the two thrusters of said at least one propulsion module differentially, in intensity or in duration, so as to generate, on the satellite, a torque about the axis at right angles to both the axis V and the two thrust axes of the two thrusters,
the duly generated torque limiting or reducing the kinetic moment absorbed by the kinetic moment accumulation device of the satellite.

14. A method for controlling the kinetic moment of a satellite comprising a kinetic moment accumulation device and a propulsion system according to claim 1 , comprising:
orienting the thrusters of at least one of the propulsion modules by means of the motorized link,
activating the two thrusters of said at least one propulsion module differentially, in intensity or in duration, so as to generate, on the satellite, a torque about the axis at right angles to both the axis V and the two thrust axes of the two thrusters, the duly generated torque limiting or reducing the kinetic moment absorbed by the kinetic moment accumulation device of the satellite, and the duly generated force on the axis X contributing to controlling the movement of the satellite in the plane of its orbit.

15. The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein each thruster of the two thrusters of each of the two propulsion modules is associated with a redundant thruster arranged on the plate in proximity to said thruster.

16. The propulsion system according to claim 1 , wherein each motorized rotation link provides an only motorized link of respective propulsion module.

Assignees

• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Celerier Bruno

Classifications

• B64G1/283 Primary

  using reaction wheels · CPC title

• B64G1/26

  using jets · CPC title

• B64G1/40

  Arrangements or adaptations of propulsion systems · CPC title

• B64G1/242 Primary

  Orbits and trajectories · CPC title

• B64G1/405

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic