CHAMP Attitude Dynamics

CHAMP (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload) is a German small satellite mission for geoscientific and atmospheric research and applications. The spacecraft was launched on July 15 2000 from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. The mission is of special importance as a precursor mission for the NASA-DLR GRACE project where 2 spacecrafts similar to CHAMP will fly in formation. The paper described in this abstract will deal with the attitude dynamics of the CHAMP Spacecraft. Basing on a description of the missions operations system`s attitude part the attitude activities during LEOP are presented. The main chapter is about the encountered problems and anomalies and its operational solutions. The conclusion concentrates on the relevance of these results for both CHAMP Future operations and GRACE mission.