Mechanical means for controlling the geometry of optical spacecraft attitude control systems and the necessary accuracy of these means

Abstract

The accuracy of modern spacecraft attitude sensors has recently come to exceed the accuracy provided by the rigidity of the mechanical designs of spacecraft. One possible solution to this problem is to introduce additional sensors measuring the mutual orientation of the attitude sensors into the design of attitude control systems. In this paper we consider the questions of whether the simplest and most reliable mechanical distance measurement sensors can be used and whether their accuracy is sufficient for this purpose.