Design and Laboratory Testing of Self-Contained High Altitude Navigation System. Phase I. The Space Sextant Autonomous Navigation Attitude Reference System (SS-ANARS).
Abstract
This report summarizes the contract effort centered around the building and laboratory testing of a breadboard model of the Space-Sextant-Autonomous Navigation and Attitude Reference System (SS-ANARS). The results described are for the third of five phases of development of the SS-ANARS leading to the availability of the system for operational use on advanced space systems and covers effort performed from 8 December 1975 through 30 April 1977. The Space Sextant system, now called the Space Sextant Autonomous Navigation Attitude Reference System (SS-ANARS) navigates with an electro-optical-mechanical device that precisely measures the included angles between the moon's visible limb and the brighter starts. These angle measurements, together with lunar ephemeris, star directions and time provide the information needed to determine, with a Kalman recursive filter, satellite position in space to an accuracy of 800 ft (one sigma) in any earth orbit. The basic measurement for navigation, the included angle between stars and moon's limb, is augmented to improve system performance by allowing some measurements between the earth's visible limb and the stars. These measurements allow position state estimation to within 1 n mi within minutes after commencement of navigation. Since the Sextant is an optical device it has solar occultation constraint whenever the moon gets within 9 deg of the sun.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA045322
Entities
People
- A. Dale Mikelson
Organizations
- Martin Marietta