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Precision attitude determination for multimission spacecraft
Abstract
Attitude determination algorithms for a multimission spacecraft are derived and their performance analyzed. The attitude determination system is composed of a strapdown Inertial Reference Unit (IRU), two fixed head star trackers, and an onboard computer. IRU data is processed to maintain real-time knowledge of spacecraft attitude relative to an inertial reference frame. Star tracker data is processed using Kalman filtering techniques to estimate and correct the attitude determination errors and the gyro drift compensation errors. The results of a star availability analysis for stellar, solar and earth pointing missions are presented. Linear covariance analysis techniques are used to evaluate nominal attitude determination performance, the effects of sensor measurement accuracy variations, the effects of errors in knowledge of sensor measurement accuracy, and the effects of star tracker misalignment errors. Results of a nonlinear simulation analysis of attitude determination performance are also presented. These analyses show that precision attitude determination for stellar, solar and earth pointing missions is achieved.
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“Further, the Murrell's version [Murrell, 1978] is considered, leading to an algorithmic structure which is computationally efficient and suitable for practical applications; the inverse of 3 by 3 matrices are computed N times instead of inverting 3N by 3N matrices.”
From 3CAT-2: Attitude Determination and Control System for a GNSS-R Earth Observation 6U CubeSat Mission (2016) · cites this paper as Murrell, 1978
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Research works printed but not linked: 6
- Paulson D. C., 1969, Proceedings of the Symposiumon SpacecraftAttitude Determination. Aerospace Report No. TR0066 (5306)
- 10.2514/6.1974-903 · DOI
- Grubin C., 1973, AIAA Guidanceand Control Conference, Key Biscayne, Fla.
- Wilcox J. C., 1967, IEEETrans. OnAerospace and Electronic System, 3
- Ickes B. P., 1970, A M Journal, 8
- Truncale, A., Koenigsberg, W., and Harris, R. "Spectral Density Measurements of Gyro Noise, MIT Charles StarkDraper Laboratory Report E2641, February 1973. · DOI
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3CAT-2: Attitude Determination and Control System for a GNSS-R Earth Observation 6U CubeSat Mission
Cortiella, A., Vidal, D., Jané, J., Juan, E., Olivé, R., Amézaga, A., Munoz, J. F., Carreno-Luengo, P. V. H., & Camps, A. (2016) · European Journal of Remote Sensing · doi:10.5721/eujrs20164940 · Cited by 23
“Further, the Murrell’s version [Murrell, 1978] is considered, leading to an algorithmic structure which is computationally efficient and suitable for practical applications; the inverse of 3 by 3 matrices are computed N times instead of inverting 3N by 3N matrices.”
Method
Metadata
- Authors
- MURRELL, J.
- Affiliations
- General Electric (United States) (US)
- Corresponding author
- MURRELL, J.
- Venue
- Guidance and Control Conference
- Published
- 1978-08-07
- OpenAlex
- W2078594025
- Cited by
- 85
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.43
- Type
- conference paper
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Guidance and Control Conference (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Inertial Sensor and Navigation
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Spacecraft Dynamics and Control
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Spacecraft Design and Technology
- Keywords
- spacecraft attitude determination, star tracker, Kalman filter, gyro drift compensation, linear covariance analysis, sensor accuracy, nonlinear simulation
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Cite CoChat for the checks on this page, and the paper for its own findings.
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- CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Precision attitude determination for multimission spacecraft. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.2514/6.1978-1248
- The paper
- MURRELL, J. (1978). Precision attitude determination for multimission spacecraft. Guidance and Control Conference. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1978-1248
