Enabling Technology: MSAC
Multifunctional Structures for Attitude Control (MSAC) is a new satellite attitude control system that utilizes existing deployable panels, rather than spinning wheels, by leveraging actuated smart hinges. The MSAC system has the following capabilities:
- 3-axis attitude control is produced by vibrating panels in circular patterns, which provides similar performance to a set of conventional reaction wheels or control moment gyroscopes.
- Active noise (jitter) cancellation is provided system-wide by producing vibrations that destructively interfere with noise detected on-board the spacecraft.
The MSAC system can provide better pointing accuracy, angular momentum storage, and peak torque than conventional wheel-based attitude control systems. These capabilities are provided while also realizing mass, volume, and power savings due to the utilization of multi-functional structures, as well as the elimination of wheels and passive vibration isolation system.
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Publications
2023: “Multifunctional Oscillating Structures for Slewing and Active Jitter Cancellation.” In the proceedings of the 2023 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2023.
2023: “New Mission and Spacecraft Design Enabled Using MSAC.” In the proceedings of the 2023 IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2023.
2022: Advancing MSAC towards flight demonstration using hardware in the loop validation, 45th Annual Guidance and Control Conference, American Astronautical Society (AAS).
2022: Reducing Jitter During Large Slews using Multifunctional Structures for Attitude Control, 45th Annual Guidance and Control Conference, American Astronautical Society (AAS).
2020: Impact of Including Electronics Design on Design of Intelligent Structures: Applications to Multifunctional Structures for Attitude Control (MSAC), Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems, ASME, doi:10.1115/SMASIS2020-2331.
2020: Multifunctional Structures for Spacecraft Attitude Control, 43rd Annual Guidance and Control Conference, American Astronautical Society (AAS).
2019: Pseudo-Rigid Body Dynamic Modeling of Compliant Members for Design, Journal of Mechanical Design - special issue, doi:10.1115/1.4045602.
2019: Impact of Strain-Actuated Attitude Control Systems for Variant Mission Classes, 70th International Astronautical Congress.
2019: Multifunctional Structures for Attitude Control, Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems, ASME, doi:10.1115/SMASIS2019-5565.
2019: Pseudo-Rigid Body Dynamic Modeling of Compliant Members for Design, International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, ASME, doi:10.1115/DETC2019-97881
