Sensor system and method for determining yaw orientation of a satellite

US6501419B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Boeing Company · US

Inventors

• John E. Davis · Westfield, US
• Henry Liao · Jiangmen, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 2, 2001
• Grant date: Dec 31, 2002
• Expiry date: Apr 2, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S3/38
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A first pair of antennas are mounted on a satellite spaced along a first axis and a second pair of antennas are spaced along a second axis for receiving signals from another satellite in orbit with the satellite, the first and second axes being orthogonal to a yaw axis that points toward the centroid of the celestial body about which the satellite orbits. Each pair of antennas are used to derive phase angle and signal strength differences, and these differences are used for deducing a yaw orientation of the satellite about the yaw axis.