GB1221557A - Improvements in or relating to space vehicle control systems - Google Patents

Abstract

1,221,557. Space vehicle control. MESSERSCHMITT - BOLKOW - BLOHM G.m.b.H. 24 Oct., 1968 [24 Oct., 1967], No. 50499/68. Heading B7W. In a system for operating space vehicles, e.g. satellites or missiles, a plurality of functional units are provided in the satellite 1 in communication with a ground station 2 via a realtime channel 3, tape-time channel 4 and an order channel 5, there being a process computer having a nominal value frame store 10 for each function connected to upper and lower limiting stores 11, 12, means 15 for storing actual values from the satellite, a comparator 20 for comparing values 15 with values 11, 12 to give an actual difference value which is stored in means 18, a comparator 21 for comparing the actual differences from store 18 with nominal differences from store 13 representing all possible failures, a control means 26 activated by comparator 21 to send test orders to the satellite and effect changes in stores 11, 12 through a correction circuit 29, the means repeating the processing of data after the test orders to ascertain irreparable faults or failures in the satellite, wherein a real time channel 3 is first connected to said computer having a decommutator 31 to determine quality of signal and a mission order store 16 synchronized with a clock 17 for feeding predetermined order to the satellite through channel 5. After processing information through real-time channel 3 tape-time channel 4 is operated to process information obtained whilst the satellite is out of radio contact with ground station 2. In this instance if the actual values are outside the limits 11, 12 a manual operation circuit 54 and correction circuit 55 can be operated to alter the limits in 11, 12 to more realistic ones.