FORTE Hardware-in-Loop Simulation

Fast On-Orbit Recording of Transient Events (FORTE) is a small, low Earth orbit satellite scheduled for launch in August 1997. FORTE is a momentum-biased, gravity-gradient stabilized spacecraft. This paper describes the use of a hardware-in-Ioop simulator, developed by Ithaco Inc. and Los Alamos National Laboratory, in performing FORTE mission simulations. Scenarios studied include separation, acquisition on orbit, control system parameter sensitivity studies, sensor noise simulations, antenna deployment and momentum desaturation. Use of the simulator to refine control algorithms and sequences is also described.