Exploded view of Starberry-Sense star sensor developed by researchers of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Photo: Special Arrangement
Researchers on the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have developed a low-cost star sensor for astronomy and small CubeSat class satellite tv for pc missions.
The star sensor named Starberry-Sense can assist small CubeSat class satellite tv for pc missions discover their orientation in house.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) stated that the Starberry-Sense is prepared for launch on the PS4-Orbital Platform by ISRO and can be utilized for CubeSats and different small satellite tv for pc missions sooner or later.
Based on industrial/off-the-shelf elements, this star sensor prices lower than 10% of these accessible available in the market. The mind of the instrument is a single-board Linux pc referred to as Raspberry Pi, which is broadly used amongst electronics pastime fans.
“We coupled some highly optimised algorithms with a Raspberry Pi and turned it into a potent star sensor, named StarBerry-Sense. We could demonstrate that instruments built from easily available components can be qualified for space,” stated Bharat Chandra, Ph.D. scholar at IIA and the primary creator of the analysis, which has been revealed within the Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems.
“Any satellite needs to know where it is pointed in space, and the instrument used for this purpose is called a star sensor. The position of stars in the sky is fixed relative to each other and can be used as a stable reference frame to calculate the orientation of a satellite in orbit. This is done by correctly identifying the stars in the sky towards which the star sensor is pointed. The star sensor is essentially a celestial compass,” DST added.
The star sensor has efficiently undergone the vibration and thermal vacuum check that qualifies it for an area launch and operations, and these exams had been carried out in-house on the environmental check facility positioned on the CREST Campus of IIA in Hosakote.
