Abstract
The mass and cost requirements of high-accuracy satellite pointing systems often inhibit the potential application of smaller and more affordable satellites. There is therefore an increasing need to develop high accuracy attitude systems that do not breach small satellite mass and cost constraints. This paper proposes a novel method of attitude determination using imagery from two canted, Earth pointing, push-broom sensors. The effects of attitude on inter-imager shifts are modelled, with model inversions proving the techniques potential, given an adequate registration scheme, for determining attitude over 3-axes. Simulated results are presented alongside real data from the Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), confirming the viability of using Earth observational cameras to measure attitude, rotation rates or onboard vibrations to a high degree of accuracy. Since the technique Is capable of working with conventional onboard imaging sensors, the implementation costs and additional payload mass of such a system are deemed negligible. Copyright © 2006 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.