Flight dynamics lessons of INTERBALL Project

More then three years of motion determination and control operations in INT ERBALL Project gave several lessons: simple trigonometric approximation of attitude motion allows to determine a nd control s/c attitude even in situation when the actual inertia moments t ensor is not known a priori; in the cases when the angular momentum vector evolution in inertial space c ould be predicted, than with the case of mentioned approximation the full s et of attitude parameters can be determined based only on Sun sensors measu rements; solar radiation pressure can be used for spin stabilize s/c allowing to kee p spin axis directed towards Sun with some oscillations; spin stabilization around the inertia axis of the maximum inertia moment do es not guarantee the stable motion in the case when the source of energy pu mping (like a flexible boom) does exist. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.