MSAC:
Control Without
Compromise

MSAC:
Control Without
Compromise

Structural actuation for precise control and active damping.

Capabilities

Capabilities

Capabilities

Multifunctional Structures for Attitude Control (MSAC)

A new satellite attitude control system that utilizes existing deployable panels, rather than spinning wheels, by leveraging actuated smart hinges.

3-axis attitude control

Produced by vibrating panels in circular oscillations, which provides similar performance to a set of conventional reaction wheels or control moment gyroscopes.

3-axis attitude control

Produced by vibrating panels in circular oscillations, which provides similar performance to a set of conventional reaction wheels or control moment gyroscopes.

3-axis attitude control

Produced by vibrating panels in circular oscillations, which provides similar performance to a set of conventional reaction wheels or control moment gyroscopes.

Active noise (jitter) cancellation

Provided system-wide by producing vibrations that destructively interfere with noise detected on-board the spacecraft.

Active noise (jitter) cancellation

Provided system-wide by producing vibrations that destructively interfere with noise detected on-board the spacecraft.

Active noise (jitter) cancellation

Provided system-wide by producing vibrations that destructively interfere with noise detected on-board the spacecraft.

MSAC works by extending, rotating, and contracting deployable panels by very small amounts in rapid succession. This can be done "equal and opposite" to any jitter sensed on the spacecraft for active noise cancellation, while it simultaneously induces circular oscillations in the panels to store angular momentum and provide attitude control. This is shown in the animation above. The scale of motion is exaggerated and slowed down for visibility.

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 systems.

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