CONFIGURATION OPTIMIZATION OF 0-1 SUN SENSORS FOR SUN VECTOR DETERMINATION

Sun vector is vital for the determination of satellite attitude, which can be coarsely estimated utilizing 0-1 sun sensors. However, the configuration of sun sensors varied from one to another and there is no standard theory for designing the configuration. Therefore, in this paper, the optimization model of the configuration of 0-1 sun sensors was first established, where the reliability, precision, cost, and the redundancy of sun vector determination were in consideration. Then the configuration was optimized and the results were presented. Finally, the sun vector determination error and its distribution were analyzed and the robustness was verified.