Optical System Design for Wide Spectrum Star Tracker

A star tracker (also known as a star sensor) is a critical attitude determination device used in spacecraft. A typical star sensor includes an optical system, image sensor, processor, memory card, and housing. A star sensor takes images of the star field and compares the observed star positions with an onboard star catalog. By identifying the pattern of stars and matching it with known positions, it can determine the spacecraft’s attitude with very high accuracy.

The optical system is an important component in a star tracker device. Star tracker Optics is used to focus light from stars onto the image sensor.  The accuracy and reliability of a star tracker depend heavily on the performance of the optical system. Poor optical design leads to blurred or distorted star images, which reduce the accuracy of attitude determination. star tracker optical systems—used in spacecraft attitude determination—are typically classified into three main types based on the optical design: reflective, catadioptric, and transmissive systems. To read the entire article, visit Avantier