Phase A1 study of Planetenteleskop (German planetary telescope project). Part 1: Technical
Abstract
A comprehensive description of the current status of the Planetenteleskop (German planetary telescope) mission, aimed to provide observations and measurements of phenomena such as surface atmosphere interactions, atmospheric dynamics, planets, and natural satellites, is presented. The feasibility of a spacecraft design which could fulfill specified performance requirements within the budgetary limits is examined. Major requirements are focused on launch of the Delta-2 vehicle, diffraction limiting resolution of the telescope in the spectral range from far ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths, and extreme pointing accuracy and tracking stability over ten hours observation periods. Five experiments make up the model payload set: charge coupled device camera, photon counting camera, imaging spectrometer, infrared spectrometer, and ultraviolet imaging spectrometer. A thermal mathematical model was used for analyzing the variation over a total orbit of the temperature of radiators used for cooling the detectors of infrared instruments. Sensors and actuators, implemented for attitude control, pointing, and target tracking, are depicted. It is explained how the information needed for the fine guidance of the telescope may be obtained by image processing in the focal plane. It is concluded that this conceptual spacecraft could be developed in the framework of a multilateral project.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- December 1989
- Bibcode:
- 1989STIN...9434654H
- Keywords:
-
- Attitude Control;
- German Space Program;
- Imaging Spectrometers;
- Mission Planning;
- Multispectral Tracking Telescopes;
- Spaceborne Telescopes;
- Spacecraft Design;
- Spectroscopic Telescopes;
- Delta Launch Vehicle;
- Guidance Sensors;
- Image Processing;
- Orbit Calculation;
- Planetary Systems;
- Pointing Control Systems;
- Spacecraft Control;
- Spectral Resolution;
- Temperature Control;
- Astronomy