Session
Technical Session IV: Down The Middle
Abstract
This paper proposes a minimal configuration of attitude determination system for spinner spacecraft. This method realizes a complete spin vector determination using only one sun sensor. The second reference to complete the attitude determination is the RF Doppler measurement received at ground stations. Thus this method is suitable for low cost, resource-limited spacecraft with a moderate attitude determination accuracy requirement, and is applicable both for Earth-orbiting and interplanetary spacecraft. The method has been developed for and is actually used in “IKAROS” mission, which is the world-first successful interplanetary solar sail mission. This paper introduces the theoretical background of the Sun-RF signal based attitude determination method and shows how the actual implementation was done in the IKAROS mission.
Presentation Slides
Realization of Minimal Attitude Determination System for Small Spinner Spacecraft IKAROS
This paper proposes a minimal configuration of attitude determination system for spinner spacecraft. This method realizes a complete spin vector determination using only one sun sensor. The second reference to complete the attitude determination is the RF Doppler measurement received at ground stations. Thus this method is suitable for low cost, resource-limited spacecraft with a moderate attitude determination accuracy requirement, and is applicable both for Earth-orbiting and interplanetary spacecraft. The method has been developed for and is actually used in “IKAROS” mission, which is the world-first successful interplanetary solar sail mission. This paper introduces the theoretical background of the Sun-RF signal based attitude determination method and shows how the actual implementation was done in the IKAROS mission.
