Solar Simulation For Testing Off-Axis Light Attenuation Of A Star Sensor Assembly

Stephen Kendrick; Robert Kovacs; Angelo La Vaglia

doi:10.1117/12.964609

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26 September 1977 Solar Simulation For Testing Off-Axis Light Attenuation Of A Star Sensor Assembly

Stephen Kendrick, Robert Kovacs, Angelo La Vaglia

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Proceedings Volume 0107, Stray Light Problems in Optical Systems; (1977) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.964609
Event: 1977 SPIE/SPSE Technical Symposium East, 1977, Reston, United States

Abstract

The presence of extraneous light sources has often represented a problem to the reli-able operation of stellar sensors. The Bendix Star Sensor Assembly (SSA) is designed to accurately detect faint stars (+4 visual magnitude) with the existence of bright objects (sun, moon, etc.) near the field of view. A measurement was needed of the SS's off-axis light attenuation when operating as close as 40° to the sun. This was accomplished through careful control of a 16 by 10 meter solar-thermal-vacuum chamber. Background scattered light was minimized and mapped enabling accurate photometric testing with the SSA under going simulated solar impingement. The test results showed that the SSA will provide a minimum system attenuation of 10¹³:1 when operating at 40° to the sun. This paper sum marizes the test concepts and techniques formulated and the problems resolved in proving that a) such a test was indeed feasible and would reliably represent an accurate measure of SSA performance and b) the SSA did, in fact, perform to its requirement.

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Stephen Kendrick, Robert Kovacs, and Angelo La Vaglia "Solar Simulation For Testing Off-Axis Light Attenuation Of A Star Sensor Assembly", Proc. SPIE 0107, Stray Light Problems in Optical Systems, (26 September 1977); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.964609

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