Tumbling Satellite Capture: 2D Rigid-Body Angular Momentum

Target tumble axis

Initial spin rate 60 deg/s

Robotic capture

Grapple offset from CM 2.0 m

Closing speed 1.0 m/s

Status

Free tumbling, chaser on standby

Live telemetry

Spin rate |w|

|L| angular momentum

Rotational energy

Mass

66 + 40 kg

Inertia Ix / Iy / Iz (kg m2)

Torque-free rigid body: Euler's equations I dw/dt = -w x (I w), with orthographic view down the world z axis. Spin about the intermediate axis (Y) flips end over end. At capture the chaser's orbital angular momentum is added and the combined body spins about its new centre of mass.