초록 ▼

A laser crosslink attitude determination system using the payload laser crosslinks as the principal attitude sensor and thereby eliminating the need for additional high-cost, high performance dedicated celestial body or inertial sensors to provide attitude information. The method and system establis

A laser crosslink attitude determination system using the payload laser crosslinks as the principal attitude sensor and thereby eliminating the need for additional high-cost, high performance dedicated celestial body or inertial sensors to provide attitude information. The method and system establishes optical crosslinks among orbiting spacecraft for attitude control by performing a series of deterministic scans. The need for separate dedicated attitude sensors is minimized or eliminated by increasing the acquisition field of uncertainty and/or reducing the crosslink acquisition field of view.

대표청구항 ▼

[What is claimed is:] [1.]estimating the location of the first and second satellites;transmitting a beam of coherent energy from the first satellite within a transmit field of view of the first satellite;monitoring a receiver telescope of the second satellite within a receiver field of view for the

[What is claimed is:] [1.]estimating the location of the first and second satellites;transmitting a beam of coherent energy from the first satellite within a transmit field of view of the first satellite;monitoring a receiver telescope of the second satellite within a receiver field of view for the transmitted beam of the first satellite;defining a field of uncertainty associated with the knowledge of the position of each satellite in orbit relative to the other satellite, the respective fields of uncertainty being larger than the transmit field of view of the first satellite and receiver field of view of the second satellite;scanning the transmit beam of the first satellite in a predetermined search pattern across the field of uncertainty of the first satellite;scanning the receiver field of view of the second satellite in a predetermined search pattern across the field of uncertainty of said second satellite for said transmitted beam of said first satellite;detecting the transmitted beam of the first satellite by the second satellite; andtransmitting a second beam of coherent energy from the second satellite toward the detected beam of the first satellite until the transmitted beam of the second satellite is detected by the first satellite thereby establishing mutual acquisition between the first and second satellites.