Planning and execution of the field test of a CID star tracker

A first generation solid state Charge-Injection Device (CID) star tracker was developed by Ball Aerospace Corporation and was field tested by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). This paper presents details of the planning and execution of our field test, which was conducted at a major observatory in November 1991. The overall goal was to characterize the expected performance of the tracker. This goal was broken down into operational areas of interest, including (1) real time acquisition and tracking of stars, (2) accuracy and dynamic range of stellar magnitude measurements, (3) interference from background light and near neighbor stars, and (4) accuracy of position measurements. Individual tests devised to achieve characterization of the tracker in these key areas are presented. An overview of the tracker hardware and test results are included. Site selection criteria, equipment setup, observation scheduling, and adaptations of the observing plan to real time situations are discussed. An overview of techniques for correction of observations for the effects of atmospheric extinction is presented.