Cost Effective Attitude Control Validation Test Methods for CubeSats Applied to PolarCube

The problem of testing the performance of an attitude control system presents new challenges and opportunities when conducted on a CubeSat scale. This is the result of drastic reduction in physical properties (size, mass, torques) as well as project resources (funds, manpower, time) when compared to traditional satellite programs. This thesis...

Determination of the attitude state of space debris objects based on Satellite Laser Ranging, using Envisat as a test case

The attitude state of the passive Envisat satellite (ESA) has been estimated before using various techniques like Satellite Laser Ranging, radar and using light-curves. This research focusses on the use of Satellite Laser Ranging. Due to the relatively large (meter scale) offset between the center-of-mass of the satellite and the reflector where...