NIGHT SKY TESTS AND IN-FLIGHT RESULTS OF SED16 AUTONOMOUS STAR SENSOR

摘要

The SED16 is an autonomous multi-missions star tracker, which delivers three-axis satellite attitude in an inertial reference frame and the satellite angular velocity with no prior information. The first flight of this star sensor took place in May 2002 on board the SPOT5 satellite. A lot of in-flight data of the sensor has been made available to SODERN by the CNES and an analysis of in-flight performances has been achieved and is presented. This data is completed by information from the second SED16 flight, which started end of May on a classified program and presently by a third mission, SORCE, launch by the end of January 2003. In flight results are in accordance with results issue from additional ground night sky tests achieved at SODERN throughout Q3 and Q4 2003. Complete picture allows an almost complete validation of major SED16 requirements: Accuracy, robustness, availability and reliability.