Spacecraft Orientation Systems.

[Alias72]

Hello.

My suggestion is to implement a set of subsystems under control that cause the craft to maintain its Attitude relative to a Primary Body. Because physical forces such as gravity act only on the center of mass of the craft many of the tricks used to maintain spacecraft attitude do not work. My suggestion would create a special part with a module that would replicate these forces. when physics is not simulated then spacecraft orientation does not normally change. This part would require a correction such that either:

1. a spacecraft with sufficient attitude control maintains orientation by hard-code.

2. a spacecrafts orientation is reset to face the planet if it has sufficient attitude control and enters physics range.

Examples:

Gravity Boom. The gravity boom is a passive system that acts to orient a spacecraft so that the boom faces the planet. It requires no power and the force it exerts diminishes with altitude. The boom may be extended or retracted and works based on the principle that gravity is not constant across space. a sufficiently large rod will experience a form of gravity drag on the end of the spacecraft that will orient towards the planet.

Solar Sail. This is another form of attitude control that uses a solar sail as a form of drogue chute in space. Radiation pressure pushes the sail away causing it to orient itself farthest from the sun. This is another form of passive control that uses no power once deployed. though effectiveness diminishes with solar radius it does so at a less significant rate than the gravity boom, and maintains solar orientation as opposed to gravity orientation. It is smaller and does not work when the sun is obscured (for the same reason as solar panels.)

Magnetorquer. This form of attitude control uses either a fixed permanent magnet or, more commonly, a magnetic coil to maintain spacecraft orientation relative to a magnetic field. Most magnetorquers require a small amount of power to maintain vehicle orientation. This is a very low torque solution and only operates around bodies with magnetic fields. Additionally this system provides a small drain on spacecraft power.

Reaction Control Stabilizer Computer. This is not a means for stabilization but for control of stabilization. The RCSC would work like SAS but orient toward the orbiting body or the sun (dependent on a setting) and would use momentum wheels and RCS to orient the craft (just like SAS.)