Star Trackers

A TDE funded activity, led by Airbus Defence and Space (France) together with Airbus Defence and Space (UK, Stevenage) and Jena-Optronik GmbH (Germany), investigated the possibility of using star trackers to provide a generic safe mode architecture. 

The activity investigated the suitability and tested the robustness of three-star tracker models - Sodern’s Hydra and low-cost Auriga, JOP’s Astro-APS – under degraded conditions in situations with a combination of high angular rates and high level of radiation. The results demonstrated a very high robustness against radiation with the capability for providing successful acquisition.

The image shows the sensor models tested in the TDE activity. 

From left to right: Hydra and Auriga, by Sodern; Astro-APS, by Jena Optronik.