Design and Performance of an Open-Source Star Tracker Algorithm on Commercial Off-The-Shelf Cameras and ComputersRecent frustration in finding low size, weight, power (SWaP), cost, and lead time star trackers has driven an internal research and development effort at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in partnership with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to develop and demonstrate a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) camera and COTS computer-based star tracker system. A set of open-source algorithms has been developed and their function demonstrated on multiple low-cost COTS single board computers (SBCs) across a variety of operating systems and COTS cameras. The goal of this effort is to release the software and setup guide to the community in order to reduce spacecraft development costs while increasing their capability (perhaps most of interest to low-cost missions like CubeSats). This material will show the high level architecture of the system, detail the algorithm, various tested configurations, and results. Forward work and applications will also be discussed.
Document ID
20200001376
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Pedrotty, Samuel (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Lovelace, Ronney (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Christian, John (Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. Troy, NY, United States)
Renshaw, Devin (Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. Troy, NY, United States)
Quintero, Grace (Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. Troy, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
March 3, 2020
Publication Date
January 31, 2020
Subject Category
Spacecraft Instrumentation And Astrionics
Report/Patent Number
JSC-E-DAA-TN77360AAS 20-028
Meeting Information
Meeting: Annual AAS Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference