Module: planetHeading

Executive Summary

Takes in a spacecraft position message and spice planet message and provides the heading to the planet in the s/c body frame.

Module Assumptions and Limitations

This model needs to be provided spacecraft body frame and planet positions in the inertial frame.
This model captures only a static heading vector, not the rate of said heading vector.
This model is limited to finding the body heading to a planet (not other spacecraft, etc).

Message Connection Descriptions

The following table lists all the module input and output messages. The module msg variable name is set by the user from python. The msg type contains a link to the message structure definition, while the description provides information on what this message is used for.

Module I/O Messages
Msg Variable Name	Msg Type	Description
planetPositionInMsg	SpicePlanetStateMsgPayload	planet state input message
spacecraftStateInMsg	SCStatesMsgPayload	spacecraft state input message
planetHeadingOutMsg	BodyHeadingMsgPayload	body heading output message

Detailed Module Description

Many physical effects and spacecraft controls depend on the heading vector to a planet. Generally, it is useful for this vector to be given in spacecraft body frame components. Examples of such models in Basilisk that can use this data are course sun sensors (sun heading), and various control setups to point to a planet (planet heading). Because this information is so widely useful, it ought to be implemented in a single location to reduce computation and ensure consistency.

Design Philosophy

Overall, this module was created because many other modules need this information.

Equations

The heading is calculated by using the spacecraft and planet positions and spacecraft body frame attitude with respect to the inertial frame.

First the inertial vector to the planet is calculated:

\[{}^N\boldsymbol{r}_{\mathrm{PS}} = {}^N\boldsymbol{r}_{\mathrm{PN}} = {}^N\boldsymbol{r}_{\mathrm{SN}}\]

Then, it is converted to the body frame and normalized

\[ \begin{align}\begin{aligned}{}^B\boldsymbol{r}_{\mathrm{PS}} = \mathrm{DCM(\boldsymbol{\sigma}_{BN})} {}^N \boldsymbol{r}_{\mathrm{PS}}\\{}^B \hat{\boldsymbol{r}}_{\mathrm{PS}} = \frac{{}^B\boldsymbol{r}_{\mathrm{PS}}}{||^B\bar{r}_{\mathrm{PS}}||}\end{aligned}\end{align} \]

User Guide

The user can only instantiate this module and add it to a task.

from Basilisk.simulation import planetHeading
from Basilisk.utilities import SimulationBaseClass()

sim = SimulationBaseClass.SimBaseClass()
proc = sim.CreateNewProcess("proc")
task = sim.CreateNewTask("task", int(1e9))
proc.addTask(task)

ph = planetHeading.PlanetHeading()
ph.planetPositionInMsg.subscribeTo(earthMsg)
ph.spacecraftStateInMsg.subscribeTo(scMsg)
sim.AddModelToTask(task.Name, ph)

dataLog = ph.planetHeadingOutMsg.recorder()

class PlanetHeading : public SysModel 

#include <planetHeading.h>

planet heading class

Public Functions

PlanetHeading(): Customer constructor just sets the spacecraftSTateInMsg by default

inline ~PlanetHeading()

void UpdateState(uint64_t CurrentSimNanos) override

This method reads messages, calculates the planet heading, and writes out the heading message

Returns:: void

void Reset(uint64_t CurrentSimNanos) override

This method is used to reset the module. Currently no tasks are required.

Returns:: void

void writeMessages(uint64_t CurrentSimNanos)

This method is used to write out the planet heading message

Returns:: void

void readMessages()

Read input messages and save data to member variables

Returns:: void

Public Members

ReadFunctor<SpicePlanetStateMsgPayload> planetPositionInMsg: planet state input message

ReadFunctor<SCStatesMsgPayload> spacecraftStateInMsg: spacecraft state input message

Message<BodyHeadingMsgPayload> planetHeadingOutMsg: body heading output message

BSKLogger bskLogger: — BSK Logging

Private Members

Eigen::Vector3d r_PN_N: [m] planet position

Eigen::Vector3d r_BN_N: [m] s/c position

Eigen::Vector3d rHat_PB_B: [] planet heading in s/c body frame (unit mag)

Eigen::MRPd sigma_BN: [] s/c body att wrt inertial