ATS-6 - Interferometer
Abstract
The ATS-6 interferometer provides precision, 3-axis attitude sensing capability. It incorporates a C-band receiver which measures the phase difference of continuous ground station signals received at paired antenna elements and converts this phase difference into digital data that is transmitted to the ground, and is also used as direct input to the onboard digital operations controller for conversion to attitude information. It uses 6 onboard horn antennas, placed in the earth viewing module, with three antennas arranged along each of two orthogonal baselines parallel to the satellite pitch and roll axes, one antenna used as a measurement reference on each baseline, and the remaining two horns, placed to provide phase measurements relative to the respective reference antenna.
- Publication:
-
IEEE Transactions on Aerospace Electronic Systems
- Pub Date:
- November 1975
- DOI:
- 10.1109/TAES.1975.308170
- Bibcode:
- 1975ITAES..11.1165I
- Keywords:
-
- Ats 6;
- Microwave Interferometers;
- Orbital Position Estimation;
- Satellite Attitude Control;
- Attitude Indicators;
- Horn Antennas;
- Radio Tracking;
- Satellite Ground Support;
- Satellite Tracking;
- Instrumentation and Photography