Spacecraft on longer-duration missions, in order to conserve fuel, are designed to use reaction control systems to control their attitude as little as possible, in order to avoid burning irreplaceable (or difficult to replace) fuel. Control moment gyroscopes and reaction control wheels are the most common systems in use for spacecraft that have arbitrary pointing requirements. Satellites in orbit, designed to maintain a constant attitude with respect to the body they are orbiting, will often use passive systems such as a gravity gradient tether. In any case, however, systems that use momentum transfer for attitude control (such as control wheels and gyros) can reach a state of saturation, where they are unable to provide torque in the desired direction. In the case of wheels, it is generally because one or more wheels has reached its maximum RPMs and cannot be further accelerated in the direction necessary for further maneuver. For gyros, if enough of the gyro rotors…
Our fiction is more entertaining than Wikipedia's.
The Best of The Week
Outside the seasons change,
but the walls of the hospital are always grey
The music playing overhead changes
depending on which nurse controls the speakers
They tell me that the medicine changes
but the doctors don't, so I don't notice it
The channels switch,
…
Things were mostly smooth at first. The initial missions went about as well as could be expected. But as the months went by, I noticed a marked drop in my motivation. I wasn't the only one.
"Are you OK?" one of the elders asked me one day. "You seem out of sorts."
"…
News for Noders
March 1st: The Prosenoder's Cup 2019 starts today! (Late starts may still report to the line by visiting Hevosen Rotu: An E2 Proseproduction and reserving a title.)
March 14th: Pi day.
March 15th: Midnight today is the last chance to post in, and vote on, the Prosenoder's Cup 2019.
March 20th: The first equinox of the year.
March 28th: Happy birthday lizardinlaw!
March 31st: Happy birthday mad girl's love song!
If you have an item for this calendar, /msg Tem42.
February 15th: Happy birthday Admin to the goo!
February 18th: Happy birthday mjijm!
Polish your boots and fly your colors. The Prosenoder's Cup returns March 1st! Signups now open at Hevosen Rotu: An E2 Proseproduction"
If you have an item for this calendar, /msg Tem42.
January 1: Gregorian New Year.
January 1: ReQuest 2019 begins!
January 24: Happy Birthday Silverai_me!
January 26: Happy Birthday Segnbora-t!
January 31: ReQuest 2019 ends.
If you have something to add to the monthly news, /msg Tem42.
December 1: Iron Noder has ended, and the initial results are in!
December 2: Happy Hanukkah!
December 12: Happy birthday to horacetheclown!
December 25: Merry Christmas!
Coming in January: sign up now for the reQuest 2019: the reTurn!
If you have an item for this calendar, /msg Tem42.
November 1 - The IRON NODER CHALLENGE starts today and runs through December 1. It's never too late to sign up, and all writeups get rewards. /msg mauler if you'd like to participate!
November 1 - Happy Birthday Zephronias!
November 5 - Bonfire Night in the UK.
November 11 - Veterans Day in the US.
November 22 - Thanksgiving in the US.
November 27 - Happy Birthday Estelore!
If you have an item for this calendar, /msg Tem42.