MicroADS - Spacecraft Attitude Determination System

In order to operate correctly, spacecraft need to be able to determine their orientation ("attitude") relative to some other object or objects. Typically, this is currently achieved using instruments such as star trackers and sun sensors. Often, multiple instruments are required per spacecraft to give sufficient field-of-view in all directions, and it is common with sun sensors for separate instruments to be required for each of the components of the direction vector to the light source. Furthermore, when sun sensors are used, it is common to have separate detectors that, respectively, have a low accuracy but a wide field of view (coarse sun sensors), and a high accuracy but a small field of view (fine sun sensors). Existing star trackers and sun sensors are often relatively large (up to ~500cm^3 per instrument) and can be heavy (hundreds of grams per instrument).

Since volume and mass are both at a premium on spacecraft, the development of a low-mass, low-volume attitude determination system that offers high accuracy, a wide field-of-view, and that can reduce the number of instruments required per satellite, would be extremely valuable to both industry and academia.

A novel type of attitude determination system that works on a different principle to existing instruments has been invented at University of Sussex. The system called MicroADS exploits a novel optical architecture to deliver a wider field-of-view and better accuracy than comparable systems. MicroADS is also significantly smaller and lower mass. A patent for the invention has been filed.

This STFC IPS project will raise the technology readiness level of the MicroADS instrument such that it can be rapidly commercialised at the end of the project in order to bring technological, scientific and economic benefit to the UK.