Sun sensor for orbiting spacecraft

Details Sun sensor for orbiting spacecraft Sun sensor for orbiting spacecraft

1995-03-27

1997-12-16

Le, Que

Radiant energy

Photocells; circuits and apparatus

Photocell controls its own optical systems

244 316, G01J 120

Patent

active

056988427

ABSTRACT:
A sun sensor for use in orbiting satellites provides accurate attitude control yet eliminates the use of complicated optical components. The improved accuracy results from adjustment of the relative positions of a slit or pinhole aperture and a cooperating linear array of photodetector elements to increase the operating range of the sun sensor. Enhanced accuracy is further achieved by the use of a relatively wide slit instead of complicated optical components, in conjunction with a processing procedure which uses the finite angular subtense of the sun to increase the accuracy of the attitude control of the satellite by the sun sensor. A further embodiment of the invention includes a sun sensor device having dual "pinhole" apertures which is particularly useful for attitude control of a spinning satellite.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3744913 (1973-07-01), Farthing et al.
patent: 4404465 (1983-09-01), Miller
patent: 4445030 (1984-04-01), Carton
patent: 4999483 (1991-03-01), Okamoto

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