Acquisition, pointing, and tracking performance of the Hubble Space Telescope fine-guidance sensors

David J. Eaton; Linda Abramowicz-Reed

doi:10.1117/12.138175

25 November 1992 Acquisition, pointing, and tracking performance of the Hubble Space Telescope fine-guidance sensors

Proceedings Volume 1697, Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing VI; (1992) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.138175
Event: Aerospace Sensing, 1992, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

The three Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS's) on board the Hubble Space Telescope have been operated extensively since the observatory was launched in April, 1990. The FGS's, each capable of measuring angle as small as 0.003 arc-seconds (15 nanoradians), provide required fine pointing information to the Space Telescope's pointing control system, and are intended to serve as astrometry instruments. On-orbit data have shown that the acquisition, pointing and tracking performance of the FGS's in most cases meets, and of these sometimes exceeds, requirements. The versatility of the FGS digital control electronics to adapt to the unexpected conditions imposed on the sensors by the telescope spherical aberration and by solar panel jitter will be discussed. There is encouragement from both on-orbit tests and analytical studies that the FGS's can accommodate the current telescope characteristics. Improvements to guide star acquisitions within the FGS's and to target acquisitions within science instruments have been accomplished with the internal distortion calibration of each FGS and with the alignment calibration between sensors. Techniques used in the calibration process and the resulting improvements in acquisitions will be presented.

Citation Download Citation

David J. Eaton and Linda Abramowicz-Reed "Acquisition, pointing, and tracking performance of the Hubble Space Telescope fine-guidance sensors", Proc. SPIE 1697, Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing VI, (25 November 1992); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.138175

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