All 2015 Content
Session
Technical Session VII: Opportunities, Trends and Initiatives
Abstract
This paper provides a comparative case study detailing parallel experiences with both a modified commercial off-theshelf lens and a custom lens for small satellite applications. These lens designs were employed in two successive hardware generations of the ST-16 star tracker. The two designs are compared experimentally, measuring effective aperture, photometric efficiency, point-spread function and thermal stability. We show that opting for custom optical design can effectively remedy deficiencies in performance but often at the expense of technical and budgetary risks.
Custom Optics vs Modified COTS for Small Spacecraft : The Build vs. Rebuild Decision
This paper provides a comparative case study detailing parallel experiences with both a modified commercial off-theshelf lens and a custom lens for small satellite applications. These lens designs were employed in two successive hardware generations of the ST-16 star tracker. The two designs are compared experimentally, measuring effective aperture, photometric efficiency, point-spread function and thermal stability. We show that opting for custom optical design can effectively remedy deficiencies in performance but often at the expense of technical and budgetary risks.
