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GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

GP-B Post-Flight Analysis—Final Report - Gravity Probe B - Stanford ...

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3.2.3.3 Proportional Micro ThrustersFigure 3-12. <strong>GP</strong>_B proportional micro thruster assemblyChallenge: <strong>GP</strong>-B satellite’s path is altered, ever so slightly, by solar radiation and atmospheric “wavetops”.Solution: Re-orient the satellite with an extremely sensitive gas thruster system. Helium gas constantly flowsout of eight pairs of opposing thrusters in balanced amounts. To alter the satellite’s attitude, the gas flow in oneor more pairs of opposing thrusters is unbalanced by 1/100 th of a “puff ” exhalation that one might use to cleaneyeglasses, providing just a few millinewtons of force.Result: These proportional micro thrusters precisely maintain the <strong>GP</strong>-B space vehicle’s position to within 10milliarcseconds (3x10 -6 degrees) of a perfect Earth orbit, and pointing to within 1 milliarcsecond (3x10 -7degrees) of the exact center of the guide star.Bonus Fact: This is the ultimate in recycling...the helium gas that continually evaporates through the porousplug from the superfluid liquid helium inside the Dewar, is harnessed as the propellant used by the proportionalmicro thrusters.3.2.3.4 Polishing the Perfect SphereFigure 3-13. Polishing a gyro rotorChallenge: Polishing a fused quartz sphere with standard methods creates “hills and valleys,” destroyingsphericity.<strong>Gravity</strong> <strong>Probe</strong> B — <strong>Post</strong> <strong>Flight</strong> Analysis • Final <strong>Report</strong> March 2007 83

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