Abstract: The attitude control is provided under utilization of the solar wind in that the effective surface area of solar panels facing the sun is controlled in accordance with certain rules of asymmetry and under utilization of pulling cable so that an imbalance in received solar pressure is utilized to change the attitude of the satellite.

Abstract: A spacecraft configuration including a service module which carries optical stabilizing equipment for stabilizing the spacecraft relative to two inertially fixed targets together with solar arrays rigidly attached thereto so as to extend in the orbital plane and never obstruct the field of view of the optical stabilization equipment. The payload module is attached to one face of the service module by means of rotary interface structure to be able to continuously point to the earth.

Abstract: A system for compensating the disturbance torques applied to a satellite, which eliminates the requirement for a thruster control loop. The disturbance torque itself is used as the compensating torque in order to super-impose to the incidental misalignment of the solar panel arrays an artificial misalignment that can cause the momentum vector to be adjusted to the desired direction in order to restore the correct attitude of the satellite. The direction of the momentum vector is controlled in orbit only by solar sailing, that is by organizing at prescribed times suitable manoeuvres of one of the solar panels in order to adjust the solar panel array configuration when the roll angle of the satellite exceeds a determined threshold value.

Abstract: A nutation damper apparatus capable of damping small nutation angles in a satellite. A permanent magnet mounted on the free end of a pendulum arm oscillates back and forth parallel to an adjacent conductive plate in the form of a circular segment having a cross-sectional area that increases from the center to its lateral ends, and induces in the plate a magnetic flux which is proportional to the deviation angle of the pendulum from its rest position.