Miniature Interferometric CubeSat-Ready Optical Sub-arc-second Telescope Array Star Tracker

To address the NASA need for enabling communication and navigation technologies for distributed small spacecraft beyond low Earth orbit, Intellisense Systems Inc. (Intellisense) proposes to develop a new Miniature Interferometric CubeSat-Ready Optical Sub-arc-second Telescope Array (MICROSTAR) Star Tracker for optical navigation of distributed CubeSats. The proposed high-accuracy star tracker for low SWaP (lt;0.25 U) CubeSat attitude determination is based on multi-aperture interferometric fringe detection modules with no moving parts. The innovations in the use of the interferometry fringe methodology developed by NASArsquo;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and its implementation in planar waveguide optics will enable a modular compact integration of the proposed system capable of long-term, high-accuracy attitude determination for robust CubeSats control. In Phase I, Intellisense will develop a viable conceptual design of MICROSTAR star tracker that satisfies NASArsquo;s navigation and absolute attitude determination requirements, including SWaP-C, absolute position, pointing and tracking, and power budget, demonstrate the designrsquo;s feasibility by prototyping and testing key enabling technologies, and develop a Phase II plan. In Phase II, Intellisense will develop a prototype of the MICROSTAR system that will be integrated with a commercial off-the-shelf 1 U CubeSat platform to support laboratory testing and field demonstration towards development into space-qualifiable and commercially available CubeSat sensor payloads.