Precision Scanning Star Tracker for Spin Stabilized Spacecraft

Recent advances in the design of microsatellites have led to renewed interest in the missions that can be flown with small spacecraft and small payloads.nbsp; The CubeSat platform has prompted the development of attitude determination hardware typical of larger, more sophisticated, three axis stabilized spacecraft, including miniature gyroscopes and star cameras.nbsp; The Precision Star Scanner is a new class of attitude sensor, designed to support precision spin-stabilized CubeSat and smallsat missions by providing arcminute attitude accuracy in a size compatible with a CubeSat, in fact occupying less than half of a 1U CubeSat module.nbsp; The scientific and technological advances necessary to make this instrument possible are in place.nbsp; Robust catalogs of guide stars is available through several all-sky surveys performed at various wavelengths.nbsp; Solid state detectors and their related support electronics have been flown on a variety of missions.nbsp; The concept of using guide stars to determine the attitude of a spinning vehicle has been demonstrated using flight data.nbsp; The PSS fills the need created by the CubeSat platform for accurate attitude determination on a spin stabilized platform provided in a small package and fills the need expressed by NASA for accurate attitude determination hardware compatible with Earth observing spinning CubeSats.