EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE FOR THE ATITTUDE DETERMINATION OF ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
Authors
Alexandre J. Ferreira
Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP
João Carlos V. Castro
Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP
Luiz S. Martins-Filho
Universidade Federal do ABC
Ricardo O. Duarte
Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP
Ricardo S. Prado
Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Ouro Preto
Ronilson Rocha
Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP
Abstract
This paper presents an experimental approach developed within a project of an artificial satellites attitude determination device. The device is based on a solid state magnetometer as the main vector direction sensor, an auxiliary virtual solar sensor and a microcontroller of the 8051 family. The experimental tests and the development of the methodology use initially the LabView software platform for the algorithm computations and a Helmholtz coil for the magnetic field generation. The adopted algorithm for the satellite attitude estimation is based on an optimization method called q-Method. The results obtained using the microcontroller and the LabView are presented and analyzed. Conclusions and next steps of the project close the paper.
Keywords: artificial satellites, attitude determination, magnetometer, embedded systems.
Author Biographies
Alexandre J. Ferreira, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP
DECOM-ICEB
João Carlos V. Castro, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP
DECOM-ICEB
Ricardo O. Duarte, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP
DECOM-ICEB
Ronilson Rocha, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto - UFOP
