Environmental Disturbances

Add a line to the Spacecraft Force/Torque Disturbance list to apply a generic force or torque to your spacecraft that might not be modeled by the other disturbance options (for example, modeling a propellant tank leak). These forces/torques are applied for the entire duration of the scenario and do not vary over time.

If you select this check box, this models the gravity gradient torque disturbances on the spacecraft. Gravity gradient torques result from the fact that an elongated object in a gravity field tends to align its longitudinal axis through the center of the object it is orbiting. This effect is used by some nadir pointed spacecraft for passive attitude control. Gravity gradient torque magnitude is related to the ratio of the maximum body frame mass moment of inertia to the minimum body frame mass moment of inertia and the angle of the spacecraft's longitudinal axis relative to the nadir vector.

If you select this check box, this models the steady-state magnetic dipole torque disturbances on the spacecraft. Just as a magnetic torquer exerts a torque on a spacecraft by creating a magnetic field that interacts with the earth's magnetic field, a spacecraft's residual magnetic dipole interacts with a central body's magnetic field and imparts a torque on the spacecraft. Enter the spacecraft's magnetic dipole in the body frame to model this effect.

If you select this check box, the Aero/Solar Disturbance Configuration interface enables you to create and define disturbance types. Disturbance types are applied to individual panels. Using two or more disturbance types enables you to model different aero/solar disturbances and coefficients on different panels.

Aerodynamic/Solar Disturbance Glossary