Modeling And Simulation Of Prolate Dual-Spin Satellite Dynamics In An Inclined Elliptical Orbit: Case Study Of Palapa B2R Satellite

TL;DR

This paper models and simulates the dynamics of the Palapa B2R prolate dual-spin satellite in an inclined elliptical orbit, analyzing stability under gravitational perturbations for potential orbit re-use.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed dynamic model of a dual-spin satellite in inclined orbits considering J2 perturbations, aiding in stability analysis and control system design.

Findings

Satellite stability varies with orbit eccentricity and inclination.

J2 perturbation significantly affects attitude dynamics.

Simulation results inform control system development.

Abstract

In response to the interest to re-use Palapa B2R satellite nearing its End of Life (EOL) time, an idea to incline the satellite orbit in order to cover a new region has emerged in the recent years. As a prolate dual-spin vehicle, Palapa B2R has to be stabilized against its internal energy dissipation effect. This work is focused on analyzing the dynamics of the reusable satellite in its inclined orbit. The study discusses in particular the stability of the prolate dual-spin satellite under the effect of perturbed field of gravitation due to the inclination of its elliptical orbit. Palapa B2R physical data was substituted into the dual-spin's equation of motion. The coefficient of zonal harmonics J2 was induced into the gravity-gradient moment term that affects the satellite attitude. The satellite's motion and attitude were then simulated in the perturbed gravitational field by J2, with the variation of orbit's eccentricity and inclination. The analysis of the satellite dynamics and its stability was conducted for designing a control system for the vehicle in its new inclined orbit.