Evaluation of the reactive uncompensated torque of an optical and mechanical system

This article examines the reactive torque that occurs during the rotation of an optical system installed on a spacecraft. The rotation of optical systems leads to the emergence of a reactive torque acting on the spacecraft, triggering its rotation around the center of gravity in the direction opposite to the movement of the moving mass of the optical system. As a result, the sight axis of the optical system takes a certain position in space that does not coincide with the specified angles for retargeting. The influence of reactive moments and forces is especially strong in the case of infrared optical systems that are characterized by significant weight and dimensions. The magnitude of this moment is measured and a method for its compensation is shown. The conducted patent search showed the absence of ready-made solutions for carrying out such measurements. This article presents an original method for measuring reactive torque.

Authors: D. Yu. Larionov, I. M. Belan

Direction: Physics

Keywords: reactive torque, indirect measurements, measuring stand, laser gyroscope

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