US 11,718,422 B2
Systems and methods for satellite movement
Haifei Cheng, Mountain View, CA (US); and Timothy Lofquist, Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Assigned to Maxar Space LLC, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed by Maxar Space LLC, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/38,213.
Prior Publication US 2022/0097873 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. B64G 1/26 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01); B64G 1/10 (2006.01); B64G 1/24 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/26 (2013.01) [B64G 1/10 (2013.01); B64G 1/40 (2013.01); B64G 2001/247 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A satellite comprising:
a plurality of thrusters disposed about the satellite, each of the plurality of thrusters having a minimum thruster firing time; and
a control circuit connected to the plurality of thrusters, the control circuit configured to:
identify violations of the minimum thruster firing time in a non-compliant thruster firing pattern selected to achieve a specified movement, each violation identified by a thruster firing time that is less than the minimum thruster firing time,
generate a plurality of compliant thruster firing patterns by replacing each of the violations of the non-compliant thruster firing pattern with zero and the minimum thruster firing time in different combinations,
select a compliant thruster firing pattern from the plurality of compliant thruster firing patterns to produce a satellite movement that is within a predetermined range of the specified movement, and
cause the plurality of thrusters to fire according to the selected compliant thruster firing pattern.