The combination of a sun sensor called a sun gate (SG) and a digital programmable signal processor on the Galileo spacecraft attitude and articulation control subsystem (AACS) will orient the rotation axis of the spacecraft toward the sun to satisfy a new requirement imposed by the new spacecraft trajectory. The combination will continuously monitor the pointing direction of the rotation axis, and any off-sun excursions of more than a preset threshold will be detected, triggering appropriate actions by the flight software to prevent off-sun cone angles of more than 14 deg. The design of the SG is described in detail, its principle of operation is given, and the flight software processing of the SG output is discussed.


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    Title :

    A sun gate for Galileo spacecraft attitude control


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1990-01-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English







    Galileo Spacecraft Operations

    Landano, M. R. / Astronomical Observatory of Padova / United States; National Aeronautics and Space Administration et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1997


    Galileo Spacecraft Operations

    Landano, M. R. | NTRS | 1997