Low cost spacecraft attitude determination for cubesat type missions

  • Vinicius Guimaraes Goecks
  • , Austin Probe
  • , Robyn Woollands
  • , John E. Hurtado
  • , John L. Junkins

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

We present a method for performing low cost attitude estimation for CubeSat type missions. Our algorithm uses measurements from a custom built sun sensor, a star camera, and inertial measurements. These sensing measurements are supplied in real-time to a Multiplicative Kalman Filter for the purpose of generating continuous attitude estimates. The testing and validation of this algorithm is done in the Land, Air, and Space Robotics Laboratory at Texas A&M University, using our custom three degrees-of-freedom attitude test-bed interfacing with a suspended target emulation pendulum. The algorithm is implemented using low cost commercial off-the-shelf hardware and open-source libraries for the required vision based localization. This low cost, low power and small-scale attitude estimation technology is ideal for use on CubeSats and ChipSats. Our algorithm is designed to be part of a suite of tools that is currently being developed at the lab for attitude estimation and control.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationGuidance, Navigation, and Control 2016
EditorsDavid A. Chart
PublisherUnivelt Inc.
Pages57-70
Number of pages14
ISBN (Print)9780877036319
StatePublished - 2016
Externally publishedYes
Event39th Annual AAS Rocky Mountain Section Guidance and Control Conference, 2016 - Breckenridge, United States
Duration: Feb 5 2016Feb 10 2016

Publication series

NameAdvances in the Astronautical Sciences
Volume157
ISSN (Print)0065-3438

Other

Other39th Annual AAS Rocky Mountain Section Guidance and Control Conference, 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBreckenridge
Period2/5/162/10/16

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Space and Planetary Science

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