Key highlights
The Redwire Star Tracker is intended for orbits that have a typical design life of 5 years and is well suited to CubeSat and NanoSat missions due to its small size, weight and power (SWaP). The unit is completely self-contained and features Lost in Space star identification. When power is applied, the spacecraft begins receiving quarternions accurate to 10 arcsec at 4 Hz rate, and a maximum tracking rate >2° degrees per second. Leveraging its heritage in producing advanced star trackers and compliant with the Buy America Act, Redwire's low-cost, high-performance Star Tracker is a COTS component supporting commercial, civil, and defense missions.
Redwire's compact and autonomous Star Tracker is ruggedized, radiation tested, optimized for low weight (475 grams, including baffle, and star tracker), small size (55 x 65 x 70 mm), and low power consumption (< 2.0W) with a design life > 5 years in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The Star Tracker's processing unit, including an advanced star-tracking algorithm, records the accurate measurement of the spacecraft mission's position during orbit for optimum real-time attitude determination, and accounts for interference effects of light reflecting from the satellite's surfaces and exhaust plumes during propulsion sequences.
While 50-60 main navigational stars are primarily used to determine a satellite's position, the minimum number of catalog stars visible in any stationary image of arbitrary attitude (free of Earth, Sun, or Moon blockage) will be at least 7 and more typically 10 or 11 stars.
The Star Tracker can be used for a number of applications, across a range of missions, for attitude awareness & positional knowledge. Key features of the Redwire star tracker include:
- Typical design life is 5 years (based on each specific mission), 25% duty cycle.
- Sky coverage >99%
- AFOV is 19° x 14°
- 22 mm aperture, F/0.77 BK7 glass lens
- Star catalog: 1889 stars (6 VM)
The Star Tracker is TRL9 (flight heritage available upon request). Star Trackers are export controlled through an ECCN (Export Control Classification Number) issued by the United States Department of Commerce. Export shipment requires successful application for an export license (under ECCN7A004 for Redwire SpectraCAM Flight Cameras). Redwire is AS9100D/ISO 9001 certified.
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Last updated: 2024-11-26
Technical specs
1.5 W TRACK
27 arcsec (boresight)
1. 10 arcsec is a test capability. The accuracy is < 6 arcsec.
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