Optical tools and techniques for aligning solar payloads with the SPARCS control systemThe success of a rocket-borne experiment depends not only on the pointing of the attitude control system, but on the alignment of the attitude control system to the payload. To ensure proper alignment, special optical tools and alignment techniques are required. Those that were used in the SPARCS program are described and discussed herein. These tools include theodolites, autocollimators, a 38-cm diameter solar simulator, a high-performance 1-m heliostat to provide a stable solar source during the integration of the rocket payload, a portable 75-cm sun tracker for use at the launch site, and an innovation called the Solar Alignment Prism. Using the real sun as the primary reference under field conditions, the Solar Alignment Prism facilitates the coalignment of the attitude sun sensor with the payload. The alignment techniques were developed to ensure the precise alignment of the solar payloads to the SPARCS attitude sensors during payload integration and to verify the required alignment under field conditions just prior to launch.
Document ID
19760052311
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Thomas, N. L. (Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., Inc. Sunnyvale, Calif., United States)
Chisel, D. M. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, Calif., United States)