Dual-Purpose Star Tracker and Space Debris Detector: Miniature Instrument for Small Satellites

This paper presents the conception, design and real miniature instrument implementation of a dual-purpose sensor for small satellites that can act as a star tracker and space debris detector. In the previous research work, the authors conceived, designed and implemented a breadboard consisting of a computer laptop, a camera interface and camera controller, an image sensor, an optics system, a temperature sensor and a temperature controller. It showed that the instrument was feasible. In this paper, a new real star tracker miniature instrument is designed, physically realized and tested. The implementation follows a New Space approach; it is made with Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) components with space heritage. The instrument’s development, implementation and testing are presented.

Keywords

Miniature Instrument Star Tracker Sensor Space Debris Detector Small Satellites Image Sensor Microprocessor Architecture Parallel Interface

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/19629

Citation

Arribas, B.N.; Maia, J.G.; Castanheira, J.P.; Filho, J.; Melicio, R.; Onderwater, H.; Gordo, P.; Duarte, R.P.; Silva, A.R.R. Dual-Purpose Star Tracker and Space Debris Detector: Miniature Instrument for Small Satellites. J. Sens. Actuator Netw. 2025, 14, 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/jsan14040075