Summary

The Coarse Sun Sensor (CSS) delivers coarse information about the position of the sun relative to the spacecraft.

This information is used for coarse maneuvering of the spacecraft and to inform the spacecraft about the position of the sun when it is in a safe mode of operation.

The CSS is a rugged, highly reliable, self-redundant device designed to detect sunlight in potentially a hemispherical field of view (FOV). The sensor is designed to deliver individual detector outputs to the Attitude & Orbit Control Subsystem (AOCS).

This approach enables the AOCS to derive solar aspect angles for offset sun positions in a portion of the near-hemispherical FOV of the sun sensor.

Key Advantages

  • Continuously in production since 1975 and applied in a variety of different applications with spacecraft in LEO, MEO, HEO, GEO, planetary and interplanetary orbits.
  • Self-redundant sensor

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Last updated: 2022-05-28

Coarse Sun Sensor

9TRL

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Specs

height
30 mm (excluding dimensions of extensions such as strap-on baffles, bondpin and connectors)
length
110 mm (excluding dimensions of extensions such as strap-on baffles, bondpin and connectors)
width
110 mm (excluding dimensions of extensions such as strap-on baffles, bondpin and connectors)
mass
215 g (baseline with rear cover, no strap-on baffle)
field of view
Hemispherical: can be up to ±90° x ±90° Range for linear output: approx. ±12° x ±12°(values given for detector pyramid tilt angle of 22°)
Range for linear output: approx. ±12° x ±12° (values given for detector pyramid tilt angle of 22°)
accuracy on sensor boresight (after correction with ground-based data)
Better than ± 1.5° (3 σ) throughout mission lifetime. BOL at ambient temp. Accuracy will be better than ±1.0° (3 σ). Figures apply without albedo.

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