Manual Optical Attitude Re-initialization for a Crew Vehicle in Space

Christopher J. Gioia, Joshua D. Gerhard, John A. Christian

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	This work explores a manual apparatus for initializing a spacecraft’s attitude. Such a system requires the solution to the lost-in-space problem. By observing a sequence of stars with a scope and using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to measure the device’s rotation between these sightings, it is possible to estimate the attitude through one of many solutions to the Wahba problem. Because the observations are mapped to a common frame by the IMUs, the time between measurements is a major driver of system performance. Reliable star sightings will require longer integration times, and thus will introduce noise. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed to test the proposed method’s sensitivity to noise. Finally, a prototype Manual Optical Attitude Initialization (MOAR) device was created that uses a low-cost MEMS IMU and a rifle scope to physically check the proposed methods.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2015 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 26 - 28, 2015 Laguna Cliffs Marriott Dana Point, California
Pages:	129 - 136
Cite this article:	Gioia, Christopher J., Gerhard, Joshua D., Christian, John A., "Manual Optical Attitude Re-initialization for a Crew Vehicle in Space," Proceedings of the 2015 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Dana Point, California, January 2015, pp. 129-136.
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