Numerical Simulation of a 3U CubeSat Orbit Maintenance Using Electrothermal Engine and Magnetic Attitude Control System

The study focuses on performing orbit maintenance for a 3U CubeSat using an electrothermal engine and a simple active magnetic attitude control system. The satellite is equipped with magnetorquers and a magnetometer. As such, it cannot maintain the engine axis attitude along the tangential direction for orbit maintenance. Instead, by realizing a constant dipole moment and damping, attitude along the geomagnetic induction vector is constructed. This attitude is close to tangential on a Sun-synchronous orbit near the equator. Numerical simulation of the satellite motion is performed with correction impulses applied at the ascending node of the orbit. The results of testing the engine in uncontrolled mode are presented.