A Coning Angle Sensor and a Sun Angle Sensor for Use in Spinning Satellites.

摘要

A coning angle sensor, using a new precision sun slit, has been developed for the UK6 satellite to measure the actual spin axis direction of the spacecraft with respect to body axes using the sun as an external reference. This paper describes the theory and construction of this sensor together with a complementary inclined slit sensor which is used to measure the angle of the satellite spin axis with respect to the satellite sun line. (Author)