Single thruster attitude control software simulator for spinning spacecraft

This paper presents a software simulator `Attitude Control Simulator for Spinning Spacecraft with Single Thruster´ in terms of design, software architecture, trade-off philosophy, etc. Design of the simulator was motivated by interest in kinetic penetrators for planetary exploration, and single thruster attitude control technology for spinning spacecraft. The use of a single thruster delivering a torque perpendicular to the spin-axis represents a huge improvement in mechanical simplicity and operational redundancy. Such a system can implement various slew algorithms, such as the traditional Half Cone, Multi-Half Cone, Rhumb Line and Spin Sync, as well as the newly developed Extended Half Cone, Dual Cone, Sector Arc and Multi-Sector Arc slew algorithms. The simulator consists of a GUI, Fault Management, Slew Algorithm Simulink Model and an Analytical Toolbox. The GUI interacts between the simulator and the users. Fault Management implements both parameter and hardware monitoring. Parameter monitoring will check the conflict of selected parameters with corresponding algorithm and desired performance, whilst hardware monitoring will check sensors status. With these functions, the users can specify various properties of the penetrator and carry out a fast trial. The Analytical Toolbox addendum will provide a thorough analysis and quantitative comparison of these algorithms in terms of tradeoffs between performance and cost. The trade-off works independently of the Simulink Model, but its results can be verified through simulation. The developed simulator will provide a useful tool for the simulation and evaluation of different state-of-the-art slew algorithms, system design tradeoff, and parameter analysis and design for system engineers.