Determination of a spacecraft attitude using a ground-based laser.

Area of Science:

• Spacecraft attitude determination
• Optical remote sensing
• Laser technology

Background:

• Accurate spacecraft attitude determination is crucial for mission success.
• Traditional methods may have limitations in certain scenarios.
• Ground-based laser systems offer a potential alternative for attitude sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and support a novel three-axes attitude determination method for spacecraft.
• To investigate the accuracy of a laser-based attitude determination technique.
• To evaluate the impact of signal-to-noise ratio and atmospheric scintillation on accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing ground-based laser light with rotatory polarization to determine spacecraft attitude.
• Analyzing the relationship between accuracy, voltage signal-to-noise ratio (VSNR), and atmospheric scintillation.
• Conducting experiments to quantify the achievable angular accuracy.

Main Results:

• Accuracy is inversely proportional to the voltage signal-to-noise ratio (VSNR).
• Atmospheric scintillation linearly affects angular accuracy under specific conditions (log-intensity fluctuation < ~0.25).
• Potential for <0.5 degrees accuracy over 10 seconds with VSNR > 100 and favorable elevation.

Conclusions:

• The proposed laser-based method shows promise for spacecraft attitude determination.
• VSNR and atmospheric conditions are key factors limiting accuracy.
• Further research can optimize equipment and account for atmospheric effects for improved precision.