Thomas J Furia Deceased235 Polo Dr, North Wales, PA 19454

4916622, Apr 10, 1990

Jun 16, 1988

7/207560

Kidambi V. Raman - East Windsor NJ
Ludwig Muhlfelder - Livingston NJ
Carl H. Hubert - Cranbury NJ
Thomas J. Furia - Ambler PA

General Electric Company - East Windsor NJ

B64G 132

364459

An attitude control system using magnetic torquing is enhanced using a momentum wheel which is pivoted if the sensed error signal about the roll axis exceeds a given threshold. The momentum wheel is pivoted under control of a stepping motor through a first angle proportional to the detected average roll error, and one-half nutation period later through an equal angle in the same direction. Alternatively, the momentum wheel is pivoted over first and second angles of different values wherein the difference is related to nutation.

4657210, Apr 14, 1987

May 17, 1985

6/735069

Carl H. Hubert - East Windsor NJ
Paul A. Miller - Hamilton NJ
Thomas J. Furia - Blue Bell PA
Ludwig Muhlfelder - Livingston NJ
George E. Schmidt - Newtown PA
James F. Swale - Cranbury NJ

RCA Corporation - Princeton NJ

B64G 110

244158R

An improved system and method for ejecting and stabilizing a satellite/perigee stage assembly from a shuttle or orbiter type craft in space where the satellite includes gyros aligned parallel to three orthogonal axes, a computer, and spin and attitude control thrusters is described. The method comprises the steps of orienting the shuttle such that the perigee motor is pointing in the desired firing attitude, initializing said gyros and initializing the attitude determination algorithm in the spacecraft's computer, ejecting the spacecraft/perigee stage assembly without spin, after ejecting, slowly spinning the assembly about a desired spin axis, damping the assembly's nutation and precessing the assembly to the initial attitude while slowly spinning, and when at the initial attitude, spinning up the assembly for perigee motor firing.