Fan scan horizon sensor for a spin stabilized satellite
This patent describes a method for deriving electrical signals used in determining three axis information (roll, pitch and yaw) for a spin-stabilized satellite orbiting the earth comprising: mounting an optical system on a spinning member of a spin-stabilized satellite having a spin axis with the optical system viewing normal to the spin axis, positioning a linear detector array having a plurality of individual detector elements with a center element which is sensitive to visible and ultraviolet radiation and responds to celestial objects such as the earth, the sun illuminated crescent, moon, stars or other illuminated bodies, in the focal plane of the optical system, scanning the linear detector array which views a line in space by the rotation of the spinning member and scans a wide 360/sup 0/ fan scan on a celestial sphere containing at least two celestial objects, self-scanning the linear detector array for generating electrical signals from the individual detector elements of the linear detector array in response to the intensity of radiation received from the wide 360/sup 0/ scan zone of the array, and utilizing the electrical signals derived from scanning the array over at least two celestial objects in the scan zone to determine the attitude of the spin-stabilized satellite with respect to the earth.
- Assignee:
- Barnes Engineering Co., Shelton, CT
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4827422
- OSTI ID:
- 6040176
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 4 Dec 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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