CONTROL OF A SPACE-BASED ELECTROMAGNETICALLY LAUNCHED PROJECTILE VIA A MODIFIED NUTATION DAMPER

A DEVICE IS HEREIN PROPOSED WHICH CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO A PROJECTILE, SUCH AS A RAIL GUN PROJECTILE, TO CONTROL ATTITUDE. THE DEVICE, A MODIFIED NUTATION DAMPER, HAS ESSENTIALLY ONLY ONE MOVING PART AND SO CAN BE MADE, TO EXHIBIT EXTREME STRENGTH. BY CONTROLLING THE PROJECTILE'S ATTITUDE DURING FLIGHT, A STRAP DOWN SEEKER CAN BE MADE TO MECHANICALLY SCAN FOR TARGET ACQUISITION. THE ATTITUDE CONTROL FEATURE CAN THEN BE USED TO LOCK THE SEEKER ON THE TARGET DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE FLIGHT. A STRAWMAN HARDENED PROJECTILE WILL BE SYNTHESIZED. THE MODIFIED NUTATION DAMPER WILL BE DESIGNED AND STUDIED. EQUATIONS OF MOTION WILL BE DERIVED AND VERIFIED FOR A PROOF OF PRINCIPAL EFFORT. DESIGN DETAILS SUCH AS THE MASS FRACTION REPRESENTED BY THE DEVICE AND A SUITABLE MATERIAL FOR THE ECCENTRIC MASS WILL BE PROPOSED. FOLLOW-ON WORK WOULD INCLUDE THE INCORPORATION OF THESE RESULTS IN A SIX DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM (6-DOF) FLIGHT/ ENGAGEMENT SIMULATION MODEL. A CONTROL LAW WILL BE DEVELOPED. EFFECTIVITY STUDIES WILL BE CARRIED OUT.