APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING ATTITUDE OF CELESTIAL- BODY ORBIT SPACECRAFT OF ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE WITH RESPECT TO CLESTIAL BODY

摘要

PURPOSE: To obtain a highly reliable satellite attitude determination system insusceptible to the effect of reflection from other parts of a satellite. CONSTITUTION: The boresight 5 of a solid two-dimensional array 4 of elements or pixels fixable to a spaceship or a satellite 2 is aligned with the nominal axis of celestial sighting of the spaceship or satellite. The elements or pixels are sensitive to a visible irradiation in a near infrared wavelength range and sense the incoming image of a celestial body 3. Each element or pixel is designated with a relative intensity. An optical system focuses the image of the globe on the array 4 and samples the relative intensity of irradiation information designated on the array 4 digitally. A processor operates for form the coordinate at the center 7 of the image of the celestial body 3 formed on the array 4 and designates the error of rolling or pitching attitude of the satellite 2 by the displacement of two orthogonal axes from the center of the field of view of the array 4.