Study of Relative Equilibrium Positions of a Dynamically Symmetric Cubesat Nanosatellite under Aerodynamic and Gravitational Moments

Abstract

The paper considers the angular motion of a dynamically symmetric CubeSat nanosatellite on a circular orbit under the aerodynamic and gravitational moments. Because of the rectangular shape of the CubeSat nanosatellite, the aerodynamic moment depends on two angles of orientation: angles of attack and proper rotation. The relative motion of CubeSat nanosatellites differs from the relative motion of axi-symmetric satellites. The formulas for calculating the relative equilibrium positions in the orbital reference frame for the dynamically symmetric CubeSat nanosatellite, when the center of mass is displaced from the geometric center along three axes, are obtained.