AE 407
Passive Spacecraft Control

Credit:  3 or 4 hours.


Free molecule aerodynamics; gravity gradient and solar radiation torques on satellites; interaction of on-board magnetic dipoles with the earth's magnetic field; solar wind; cosmic dust and micrometeoroid torques; lifetime problem and density determination; and utilization of these various environmental effects in satellite attitude control. 3 undergraduate hours. 3 or 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite: AE 302 and AE 311.