Evaluating COTS Hardware for Gasless Sounding Rocket Payload Attitude Control

Gas released by current sounding rocket payload attitude control systems (ACS) has the potential to interfere with some types of science instruments. Previous IRAD work was done to design a gasless reaction wheel ACS that would work for a sounding rocket payload, during which it was determined that commercial off the shelf (COTS) reaction wheels would not be well suited for a full payload due to the larger moments of inertia (MoI) and limited flight durations of sounding rocket payloads. However, control moment gyroscopes (CMG) are capable of producing larger immediate torques than reaction wheels, and COTS hardware may be available that could control a sounding rocket payload. The goal of the project is to model CMGs as a step towards evaluating the feasibility of using COTS CMGs for gasless attitude control of a sounding rocket payload.

• Providing an option for a gasless ACS will improve the quality of science data capable of being captured during a sounding rocket flight.
• Finer attitude control than can be provided through a cold gas system will be made available to all sounding rocket missions requiring more precise control, and less controller deadband.

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