Pointing Modes

Pointing Modes determine the attitude (i.e. orientation) of your Satellite at each time step in your simulation. When a Routine that drives pointing is active, as defined by your ConOps logic, its associated Pointing Mode will dictate the commanded attitude of the vehicle. Use the Pointing Modes table to edit or add Pointing Modes, choosing one of the three types.

• Passive - the spacecraft does not actively control its pointing and rotates freely according to the system dynamics
• Direction Lock - locks one satellite-fixed (i.e. body frame) vector to a specified lock direction. Optionally, this pointing mode can be configured to rotate about the lock direction at a specified spin rate.
• Max Secondary Alignment - locks one satellite-fixed (i.e. body frame) vector to a specified lock direction and simultaneously maximizes the alignment of a secondary satellite body frame vector with a secondary pointing direction.

In addition to specifying the necessary body frame vectors, the active pointing modes (Direction Lock and Max Secondary Alignment) require an associated Attitude Determination Algorithm. Optionally add a thrust control Algorithm to perform a maneuver in this Pointing Mode.

Note that a Pointing Mode can be associated to multiple Routines.