Reorientation of a rigid body by means of auxiliary masses

摘要

Three-dimensional motions of a rigid body controlled by several auxiliary internal masses are considered under the assumption that external forces acting upon the system are negligible. This assumption is valid for fast turns of the body about its center of mass and can also be true for reorientation of spacecraft and other vehicles. The required body reorientation is achieved by means of circular movements of auxiliary point masses within certain bounded domains inside the body. Two versions of possible motions of the point masses are presented that ensure the desired reorientation. These versions are compared and discussed.