Attitude Dynamics of Spinning Magnetic LEO/VLEO Satellites

Abstract

With the growing popularity of small satellites, the interaction with the air in low and especially in very low Earth orbits becomes a significant resource for passive angular stabilisation. However, the possibility of spin motion remains a considerable challenge for missions involving aerodynamically stabilised satellites. The goal of this paper was to investigate the attitude motion of arbitrarily spinning satellites in LEO and VLEO under the action of aerodynamic, gravitational, and magnetic torques, taking into account the aerodynamic damping. Using an umbrella-shaped deployable satellite as an example, the study demonstrated that both regular and chaotic attitude regimes are possible in the attitude motion. The occurrence of chaos was verified by means of Poincaré sections. The results revealed that, to prevent chaotic motion, active attitude control and reliable deployment techniques for aerodynamically stabilised satellites are needed.