A "blind" star identification method
Abstract
A method was developed to identify a set of stars that crossed the slits of star mappers located on a spacecraft. The star identification problem is blind in the sense that the inertial orientation of the spacecraft is not known and the particular set of slits generating transit measurements is not designated. Utilizing transit measurements from a spinning spacecraft, the method identifies the unknown set of slits and stars by processing the measurements through a series of decision tests. Once identified, the star data can be used via a least-square procedure to determine a gross estimate of the spacecraft's attitude. Numerical results based on simulated star data are presented.
- Publication:
-
Interim Report Aerospace Corp
- Pub Date:
- April 1977
- Bibcode:
- 1977aeco.rept.....N
- Keywords:
-
- Identifying;
- Pattern Recognition;
- Spacecraft Position Indicators;
- Star Trackers;
- Attitude Indicators;
- Decision Making;
- Inertial Navigation;
- Mapping;
- Astronomy