A 'Blind' Star Identification Method.

Abstract

A method was developed to identify a set of stars that crossed the slits of star mappers located on a spacecraft. The star identification problem is blind in the sense that the inertial orientation of the spacecraft is not known and the particular set of slits generating transit measurements is not designated. Utilizing transit measurements from a spinning spacecraft, the method identifies the unknown set of slits and stars by processing the measurements through a series of decision tests. Once identified, the star data can be used via a least-square procedure to determine a gross estimate of the spacecraft's attitude. Numerical results based on simulated star data are presented.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 14, 1977
Accession Number
ADA039519

Entities

People

  • Ronald G. Nishinaga

Organizations

  • The Aerospace Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Ambiguity
  • Computer Programs
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Corporations
  • Detectors
  • Engineering
  • Focal Planes
  • Identification
  • Measurement
  • Orientation (Direction)
  • Probability
  • Random Variables
  • Security
  • Spacecraft
  • Statistics
  • Trajectories

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Control Systems Engineering.
  • Geodesy
  • Regression Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Space Objects
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers