Attitude Control of Small Probes for De-orbit, Descent and Surface Impact on Airless Bodies Using a Single PWM Thruster

A single thruster attitude and de-orbital control method is proposed, capable of delivering a small spin stabilized probe with payload to the surface of an airless body such as the Moon. Nutation removal, attitude control and fast large angle maneuvers have been demonstrated and shown to be effective using a commercially available single standard cold gas pulse width modulated controlled thruster model. Maximum final impact angle due to drift and residual velocities was found to be less than 5 degrees and the maximum angle of attack to be 4 deg. The conventional 3-axis control would require as many as twelve thrusters requiring a more substantial structure with complex pipework, and a more sophisticated controller. The single thruster concept minimises the mass requirement and thus cost of the mission, making the concept of small networked surface probes for extended science missions more viable. Experiments based on computer simulation have shown that strict design and mission profile requirements can be fulfilled using the single thruster control method.