Study of an attitude acquisition measurement technique using the ESA starmapper: Part I: Executive summary

van Woerkom, P.Th.L.M.; Sonnenschein, F.J.

Study of an attitude acquisition measurement technique using the ESA starmapper: Part I: Executive summary

Title

Study of an attitude acquisition measurement technique using the ESA starmapper: Part I: Executive summary

Author

van Woerkom, P.Th.L.M.
Sonnenschein, F.J.

Institution

National Aerospace Laboratory NLR

Date

1979-11-15

Abstract

The study deals with the rotational motion of a spin-stabilized spacecraft equipped with a V-slit sun sensor and the X-slit ESA starmapper. Assuming complete absence of an a priori attitude estimate, it is required to produce a rough estimate of the spacecraft attitude motion. It was assumed that sensor misalignments, external torques and nutation are negligible. The estimation algorithm is described, together with datails of its software implementation. Simulations using pseudomeasurements (generated by a truth model) were carried out for a number of parameter combinations, including nutation, sensor misalignments, different spin rates, telematry resolution- and spacecraft assymetry. In all simulations the spacecraft attitude could be estimated with errors of no more than about one arcminute. Apparently, the algorithm is robust with respect to parameter variations.

Subject

Satellite attitude control
Spacecraft motion
Spin stabilization
Satellite rotation
Spin dynamics
Mapping
Star trackers
Solar sensors
Stardistributation
Optical scanners
Astronomical catalogs
Data acquisition
Estimating
Computer programs
Algorithms
Batch processing
Telemetry
Signal processing
Pattern recognition