A LATERAL SENSOR FOR THE ALIGNMENT OF TWO FORMATION-FLYING

Abstract

The coarse lateral sensor is a system able to measure the lateral position between two satellites. It bridges the gap between the alignment accuracy achieved with the radio frequency metrology, and the alignment accuracy required the highprecision optical metrology (fine-lateral and longitudinal sensor). The coarse lateral sensor developed at Centre Spatial de Liège (CSL) is a standalone unit. Once connected to an unregulated 28V power-supply, it delivers, the lateral position of a corner cube retro-reflector (within an angle of 10 arcdeg and from 25 to 250 m) and tracks this position at a rate of 10 Hz. The system is operational with the sun in its fieldof- view. Real time centroidisation algorithms allow tracking the image position and feed the on-board computer with this information via a RS422 link, allowing further position stabilization. The coarse lateral sensor has successfully undergone thermal qualification (40°C and -30 °C), and vibration test (high-level sinus, random and shock test in the 3– axis)