Patent · US Expired

Combined earth/star sensor system and method for determining the orbit and position of spacecraft

US6917025B1 · kind B1 · utility

4Cited by

3References

19Claims

0Family size

Assignee

ASTRIUM GMBH · DE

Inventors

Hermann Diehl · Grünwald, DE
Willi Platz · Munich, DE
Helmut Zinner · Haar, DE
Evelyne Gottzein · Ehrenkirchen, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 5, 1999
Grant date	Jul 12, 2005
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Oct 5, 2019

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG01S3/7867
WIPO fieldTransport
WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A combined earth-star sensor system (1) for three-axis attitude determination of satellites in space comprises separate apertures with different directions of observation and common image pickup devices (4) for the earth sensor and the star sensor. A common optical arrangement (2) for earth observation and start observation, and a deflection mirror (3) for derivation of the laterally entering light from the earth, to the common optical arrangement (2) may be provided. In one focal plane there is a focal plane sensor with an array of image pickup devices (4) with the integration time being controllable. An evaluation unit determines the orbit and the attitude of the space vehicle from the attitude and movement of the stars and of the rim of the earth in the focal plane.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.