MultiView
MultiView
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Caption: A symbolic sketch for the views of individual sensor units, most of them occluded by Earth, Sun, or Moon. Only one sensor unit (green) has a clear sight of the stars.
The MultiView sensor, built to be used in the TunaCan slot of a CubeSat, is a novel star sensor with functional redundancy and continuous angular attitude determination being its characteristics. This is realized by implementing several image sensors. Those cover different areas of the celestial sky in a way so that at least one sensor is not blinded or occluded by the Earth, Sun, or Moon. This configuration features a steady supply of angular attitude information, including redundancy should one sensor unit be defective.
To be able to realize such a system for the use on a CubeSat mission, one must use specific components fulfilling properties like mass, needed space, and power consumption. The basic technology for a single sensor unit is already available through earlier developments made by this Chair VIII, as i.e. through AROS. For it remains to validate the MultiView sensor concept for in-orbit use. This project is thus sponsored by the "Validierung" program of Bayern Innovativ Gesellschaft für Innovation und Wissenstransfer mbH referred under the sponsorship ID VAL-2007-0002, with the funds of Bayerischen Staatsministeriums für Wirtschaft, Landesentwicklung und Energie. The sponsorship provides the resources to further develop the concept and build prototype models which are needed to perform the needed validation tests for potential use in orbit.
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