Asennonsäätöjärjestelmäs

Asennonsäätöjärjestelmä, often referred to as attitude control system or ACS, is a set of components designed to maintain and control the orientation or attitude of a spacecraft. This orientation is crucial for various operations, including pointing antennas towards Earth, aligning solar panels towards the sun, targeting scientific instruments, and executing orbital maneuvers. The system typically comprises sensors, actuators, and a control unit.

Sensors provide information about the spacecraft's current attitude. Common sensors include sun sensors, star trackers, and gyroscopes. Sun sensors detect the sun's position, while star trackers identify known stars to determine orientation. Gyroscopes measure the rate of rotation.

Actuators are the devices that physically alter the spacecraft's attitude based on commands from the control unit. These can include reaction wheels, which spin to create a counter-torque, or thrusters, which expel propellant to generate force. Magnetic torquers, which interact with Earth's magnetic field, are also used in some applications.

The control unit, usually a computer, processes the data from the sensors and calculates the necessary adjustments to achieve the desired attitude. It then sends commands to the actuators to perform these adjustments. The ACS plays a vital role in the successful operation and mission objectives of almost all spacecraft.