Ground function test method of star sensor using simulated sky image

A ground function test method of star sensor based on simulated sky image was proposed. Firstly, the orbit and attitude parameters of satellite (spacecraft) together with attitude parameters of onboard star sensor were simulated, and simulated sky image of the on -orbit star sensor was generated accordingly. Then, the simulated sky image was used as test signal source, and comprehensive function test of star sensor such as star centroiding, star identification and attitude determination could be performed by processing the simulated sky image. To simplify the circuit design,the existing interface of star sensor was chosen as the communication interface. To meet the demand of real-time function testing, a partial updating strategy was adopted to reduce the transferring data of the simulated sky image. Experiment indicates that the method can effectively validate the function of electronic parts of star sensor, and the data updating rate of 20 Hz is achieved by using a RS232 interface with baud rate of 115 200 bps. Independent of other equipments, the method is an easy and universal approach for the ground function test of star sensor. Moreover, the method can satisfy the task need of aerospace environment experiment and joint test of satellite.