System and method for correcting star tracker low spatial frequency error in stellar-inertial attitude determination systems
US6272432A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 10, 1999 |
| Grant date | Aug 7, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 10, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64G1/369
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A system and method of estimating the attitude of a spacecraft compares a three-axis inertial-based estimate of spacecraft attitude to a stellar-based estimate of the spacecraft attitude. A Kalman filter having some states associated with low spatial frequency errors compares the stellar-based attitude estimate to the inertial-based estimate of attitude and apportions total attitude error into two time varying matrices. A first time varying matrix is associated with star tracker low spatial frequency errors, a second time varying matrix is associated with gyro bias errors and attitude errors. The time varying matrices are used to apply corrective feedbacks to the stellar-based attitude estimate and the inertial-based estimate of spacecraft attitude, and are adaptively adjusted to minimize total estimated attitude error.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.