Transient Attitude Motion of TNS-0#2 Nanosatellite during Atmosphere Re-Entry

Abstract

Attitude motion reconstruction of the Technological NanoSatellite TNS-0 #2 during the last month of its mission is presented in the paper. The satellite was designed to test the performance of the data transmission via the Globalstar communication system. This system successfully provided telemetry (even during its atmosphere re-entry) up to an altitude of 156 km. Satellite attitude data for this phase is analyzed in the paper. The nominal satellite attitude represents its passive stabilization along a geomagnetic field induction vector. The satellite was equipped with a permanent magnet and hysteresis dampers. The permanent magnet axis tracked the local geomagnetic field direction with an accuracy of about 15 degrees for almost two years of the mission. Rapid altitude decay during the last month of operation resulted in the transition from the magnetic stabilization to the aerodynamic stabilization of the satellite. The details of the initial tumbling motion after the launch, magnetic stabilization, transition phase prior to the aerodynamic stabilization, and subsequent satellite motion in the aerodynamic stabilization mode are presented.