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Space Telescope precision pointing control systemThe Hubble Space Telescope has the most stringent pointing requirements imposed on any spacecraft to date. The overall HST stability shall not exceed 0.007 arc-seconds rms. The Pointing Control System utilizes fine guidance sensors and rate gyros for attitude reference and rate information. Control torques are provided by reaction wheels. A digital computer collects the sensor data, performs the control law computations, and sends torque commands to the reaction wheels. To attain this precision pointing, improvements were made to the rate gyros to lower their noise characteristics and to the reaction wheels to reduce their emitted vibration levels. The control system design was validated in a test sequence which progressed from model verification tests on an air-bearing to operations-oriented, closed loop testing on the assembled vehicle. A test system is described which allowed the simultaneous production of test case command loads for the flight computer and plots of predicted profiles to assist in test data analysis. Workarounds were required during system test to accommodate gyro biases and noise introduced into the closed loop system. Testing and analysis indicate that the HST will provide the capability to meet the requirements for precision pointing.
Document ID
19860062670
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Beals, G. A.
(Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. Sunnyvale, CA, United States)
Crum, R. C.
(Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. Sunnyvale, CA, United States)
Dougherty, H. J.
(Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. Sunnyvale, CA, United States)
Hegel, D. K.
(Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. Sunnyvale, CA, United States)
Kelley, J. L.
(Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., Inc. Space Systems Div., Sunnyvale, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1986
Subject Category
Spacecraft Instrumentation
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 86-1981
Accession Number
86A47408
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS8-32697
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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