Session
Session 4: Instruments / Science I
Abstract
In this paper, a novel approach is investigated for the attitude control of two satellites acting as a virtual telescope. The Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations (VTXO) is a mission exploiting two 6U-CubeSats operating in precision formation. The goal of the VTXO project is to develop a space-based, X-ray imaging telescope with high angular resolution precision. In this scheme, one CubeSat carries a diffractive lens and the other one carries an imaging device to support a focal length of 100 m. In this mission, the attitude control algorithms are required to keep the two spacecrafts in alignment with the Crab Nebula observations. To meet this goal, the attitude measurements from the gyros and the star trackers are used in an extended Kalman filter, for a robust hybrid controller. Due to limited energy and the requirement of high accuracy, the energy and accuracy of attitude control is optimized for this mission.
Attitude Control Optimization of a Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations
In this paper, a novel approach is investigated for the attitude control of two satellites acting as a virtual telescope. The Virtual Telescope for X-ray Observations (VTXO) is a mission exploiting two 6U-CubeSats operating in precision formation. The goal of the VTXO project is to develop a space-based, X-ray imaging telescope with high angular resolution precision. In this scheme, one CubeSat carries a diffractive lens and the other one carries an imaging device to support a focal length of 100 m. In this mission, the attitude control algorithms are required to keep the two spacecrafts in alignment with the Crab Nebula observations. To meet this goal, the attitude measurements from the gyros and the star trackers are used in an extended Kalman filter, for a robust hybrid controller. Due to limited energy and the requirement of high accuracy, the energy and accuracy of attitude control is optimized for this mission.
