Spin-stabilization is used on rockets and spacecraft where attitude control is required without the requirement for on-board 3-axis propulsion or mechanisms, and sensors for attitude control and pointing. On rockets with a solid motor upper stage, spin stabilization is used to keep the motor from drifting off course as they don't have their own thrusters. Usually small rockets are used to spin up the spacecraft and rocket then fire the rocket and send the craft off.
Rockets and spacecraft that use spin stabilization:
TheJupiter-C andMinotaur V launch vehicles used spin-stabilization. The upper stages on both system employ spin-stabilization to stabilize the system during propulsive maneuvers.[1][2]
TheJuno was spin-stabilized and arrived at Jupiter orbit in 2016.[6]
The launches ofPioneer 10 andPioneer 11 probes on two Atlas Centaur vehicles in 1972 and 1973 employedStar 37 rocket motors that were spin-stabilized in order to inject the satellites into the high-energy hyperbolic orbits necessary to achieve solar system escape velocity.[7] Additionally, both probes were spin-stabilized during their flights and rotated at approximately 5 rpm.[8]
In operation as a third stage, theStar 48 rocket booster sits on top of spin table, and before it is separated it is spun up to stabilize it during the separation from the previous stage.[9] The Delta II launch vehicle third stage employed a Star 48 motor and wasspin-stabilized and depended on the second stage for proper orientation prior to stage separation, but was sometimes equipped with a nutation control system to maintain proper spin axis.[10] It also included a yo-weight system to induce tumbling in the third stage after payload separation to prevent recontact, or ayo-yo de-spin mechanism to slow the rotation before payload release.[10]
Despinning can be achieved by various techniques, includingyo-yo de-spin.[11]
With advancements in attitude control propulsion systems, guidance systems, and the needs for satellites to point instruments and communications systems precisely, 3-axis attitude control has become much more common than spin-stabilization for systems operating in space.[12]
