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Degree

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Electrical Engineering (Engineering and Technology), 2008.

Abstract

Satellite laser communication systems provide measurements that can be further processed to provide relative attitude estimates of each satellite in the constellation. This suggests a dual-use potential yielding benefits such as the use of lower-cost inertial measurement units, achieving improved fault-tolerance, and facilitating the implementation of orbital control systems. This thesis presents a static attitude determination scheme that provides relative attitude estimates using azimuth and elevation angles provided by the laser communication system. These measurements are corrupted by noise and error sources, several of which are characterized herein, and so this thesis also presents a sensitivity analysis intended to characterize the impact that these errors have on the attitude solution. This analysis reveals a high degree of sensitivity which indicates that a dynamic attitude estimation scheme may be required that incorporates the static estimation scheme in a nonlinear filtering architecture.

Subject Headings

Electrical engineering

Keywords

Satellite Attitude Determination; Laser Communication System; Satellite Laser Communication; Sensitivity Analysis; Static Estimation; Error Sources

Committee / Advisors

Douglas A. Lawrence, PhD (Committee Chair)
Maarten Uijt de Haag, PhD (Committee Member)
Sergiu Aizicovici, PhD (Committee Member)
Robert Williams II, PhD (Committee Member)

Pages

71p.

Document number: ohiou1218636153
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1218636153

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