Orbital operations with the Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility /SIRTF/The Shuttle Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a cryogenically-cooled, 1-m-class telescope that will be operated from the Space Shuttle as an observatory for infrared astronomy. This paper discusses the scientific constraints on and the requirements for pointing and controlling SIRTF as well as several aspects of SIRTF orbital operations. The basic pointing requirement is for an rms stability of 0.25 arcsec, which is necessary to realize the full angular resolution of the 5-micron diffraction-limited SIRTF. Achieving this stability requires the use of hardware and software integral to SIRTF working interactively with the gyrostabilized Shuttle pointing-mount. The higher sensitivity of SIRTF, together with orbital and time constraints, puts a premium on rapid target acquisition and on efficient operational and observational procedures. Several possible acquisition modes are discussed, and the importance of source acquisition by maximizing the output of an infrared detector is emphasized.
Document ID
19810052807
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Werner, M. W. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Lorell, K. R. (NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, Calif., United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1981
Subject Category
Space Transportation
Meeting Information
Meeting: Seminar on Shuttle pointing of electro-optical experiments