Satellite radiating source acquisition system - uses pair of identical detectors and two data processing chains which are used to control satellite w.r.t. axes

摘要

The source acquisition system has two identical differential detector units (10a, 10b). Each has a field of vision at least equal to 2 x PI steradians. The units are placed back to back along the axis of the satellite which is to be oriented towards the radiating source. The system has an electronic processing circuit which processes the signals from the detector units. A rotational moment generation circuit controlled by the processor rotates the satellite around its centre of gravity. Each detector unit supplies a signal which corresponds to the difference of the source w.r.t. two of the satellites axes. Both of these are orthogonal to the common axis of the detectors. The processor has a signal processing chain corresponding to the difference w.r.t. a first axis and a signal processing chain corresponding to the difference w.r.t. a second axis. The second chain is different from the first.