Spacecraft Orientation
The Spacecraft Orientation feature is designed be combined with a Spacecraft Axes feature to define the spacecraft positioning. Multiple Spacecraft Orientation features can be defined. They are then available in the Events Timeline features.
The spacecraft positioning is set so that it faces exactly the primary pointing direction, and is rotated such that the secondary spacecraft pointing direction points toward the projection of the second orientation direction onto the plane normal to the primary axis.
Select one of the following option to define the Primary axis orientation:
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Nadir (default) to make the primary spacecraft direction pointing toward the center of the planet, the opposite of Zenith.
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Zenith to make the primary spacecraft direction pointing away from the center of the planet.
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Sun or Anti-Sun to make the primary spacecraft direction pointing toward the Sun or to the opposite direction.
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Velocity or Antivelocity to make the primary spacecraft direction pointing toward the direction of motion of the spacecraft or to the opposite direction.
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Normal or Antinormal to make the primary spacecraft direction pointing toward the normal of the orbital plane or to the opposite direction.
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Celestial to make the primary spacecraft direction pointing toward a point by giving its celestial coordinates. Set the Declination and Right ascension to locate the point with its celestial coordinates.
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User defined to define explicitly the pointing direction.
Similar options are available to define the Secondary pointing direction.
The Primary pointing and the Secondary pointing directions should not be collinear.
See Theory for Orbital Thermal Loads for the definition of the spacecraft position over time and the coordinate system transformation.
Location in User Interface
Context Menus
Orbital Thermal Loads>Spacecraft Orientation
Ribbon
Physics tab with Orbital Thermal Loads selected:
Global>Spacecraft Orientation