Momentum control is maintained in a geosynchronous orbiting spacecraft
that uses a plurality of reaction wheel assemblies and a plurality of
magnetic torquers to control the spacecraft momentum, each orbit of the
spacecraft being comprised of a set of time steps, by determining a
current momentum error for a current time step of a current orbit by
adding a system momentum change determined for an immediately preceding
orbit to an average system momentum determined for the immediately
preceding orbit, and then subtracting a magnetic control torque momentum
change determined for the immediately preceding orbit, determining a
current duty cycle for each of the magnetic torquers based on the current
momentum error and on a torque value applied by each magnetic torquer at
each time step of the immediately preceding orbit, and commanding each
magnetic torquer to operate at the current time step in accordance with
its respective determined current duty cycle, wherein the magnetic
torquers apply a magnetic momentum control torque to the spacecraft to
offset the current momentum error.