Design and simulation of sun position sensors for space applications: A comparative study

Area of Science:

• Spacecraft engineering
• Optical sensor design
• Photodetection technology

Background:

• Sun position sensors are critical components in spacecraft attitude determination and control systems.
• Accurate sun tracking is essential for power management and mission success in space applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the design process for single and dual-axis sun position sensors.
• To model, simulate, and compare various sensor architectures based on photodiode arrays and optical windows.

Main Methods:

• Developed and simulated six different sensor architectures with varying detector and window geometries.
• Evaluated sensor performance by analyzing the impact of window height/size and photodiode size.
• Compared detector configurations (e.g., two-quadrant vs. triangular) and window shapes (e.g., square).

Main Results:

• Key performance factors include window height, window/photodiode size, detector configuration, and window geometry.
• The two-quadrant detector configuration demonstrated superior sensitivity compared to the triangular photodiode.
• A square window design was found to enhance output linearity.

Conclusions:

• The choice of detector configuration and window geometry significantly impacts sun sensor sensitivity and linearity.
• Optimized window and detector parameters are crucial for achieving desired performance in space applications.
• This research supports the development of new space products and the Argentinian National Space Plan.