A CubeSat Reaction-Wheel-Based Attitude Controller Testbed

Voiceover

Presenter(s)

Jessica Fisher, Anmol Sharma, Stephanie Mansperger

Abstract or Description

As miniaturized cube-shaped satellites, or CubeSats, become an increasingly popular tool for performing space science, it becomes increasingly necessary to investigate and develop more affordable methods for effective attitude control: a critical spacecraft system component. Many traditional attitude control systems, such as thrusters and magnetorquers, are quite expensive, and do not always meet the size constraints required for the standard CubeSat. In this project, we focused instead on reaction-wheel-based control systems. Commercially available reaction wheel systems are generally expensive as well; in our implementation, we utilized 3D-printed components in conjunction with affordable commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts, such as motors, in order to create a functionally accurate, space-conservative, cost-effective control system. We utilized prototype testing as well as control system modeling, and present here an analysis of both. Further, many traditional control algorithm implementations perform reorientation operations using Euler angles, which can lead to difficulties with gimbal lock and unpredictable rotations; we work to rectify this in our control code using a quaternion reorientation calculation method instead. Further research is desired, and will include refining of the control code, redesigning of the physical prototype, and retuning of the system model.

Mentor

Daniel Loveless