Space base laser torque applied on LEO satellites of various geometries at satellite’s closest approach | ||
| NRIAG Journal of Astronomy and Geophysics | ||
| Volume 2, Issue 2, December 2013, Pages 266-271 PDF (588.16 K) | ||
| DOI: 10.1016/j.nrjag.2013.12.004 | ||
| Author | ||
| Diaa Hamed | ||
| Abstract | ||
| In light of using laser power in space applications, the motivation of this paper is to use a space based solar pumped laser to produce a torque on LEO satellites of various shapes. It is assumed that there is a space station that fires laser beam toward the satellite so the beam spreading due to diffraction is considered to be the dominant effect on the laser beam propagation. The laser torque is calculated at the point of closest approach between the space station and some sun synchronous low Earth orbit cubesats. The numerical application shows that space based laser torque has a significant contribution on the LEO cubesats. It has a maximum value in the order of 10 Nm which is comparable with the residual magnetic moment. However, it has a minimum value in the order 10 Nm which is comparable with the aerodynamic and gravity gradient torque. Consequently, space based laser torque can be used as an active attitude control system. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| The Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS); Radiation torque; Solar pumped laser; Geocentric equatorial coordinate systems; Spherical and cylindrical coordinate systems and sun synchronous LEO cubesats | ||
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