Spacecraft center of mass online estimation based on multi-accelerometers

The online estimation of spacecraft center of mass (CM) plays an important role in the attitude and orbit control law design of large variety mass property spacecraft. Based on spacecraft motion equation, the method of using one point three orientations acceleration together with gyro information to estimate CM was discussed, the main error source and requirement of angle velocity was analysis. Then, the method was extended to be a new way of using three points' single orientation acceleration together with gyro information to estimate CM. Finally, a new method of using four points' three orientations acceleration to estimate CM was proposed, which was not required to use gyro information. Simulation results manifest that absolute error of CM estimation was within 2mm by using the multi- accelerometers method.