Star tracker with baffle
First Claim
1. A star tracker, comprising:
- an image sensing arrangement,optics configured to image incoming light on the image sensing arrangement, anda light baffle, the optics being located between the light baffle and the image sensing arrangement, the light baffle comprising an array of walls, including sidewalls and at least one internal wall between the sidewalls, the internal wall separating a space between the sidewalls into separate subspaces.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A star tracker is used to measure the direction of stars. Preferably a wide imaging range is provided so that a reliable orientation of the star tracker can be computed from measurements of the directions of star at substantially different directions. The star tracker comprises a light baffle and located between the light baffle and an image sensing arrangement. The light baffle comprises an array of walls, including sidewalls and at least one internal wall between the sidewalls. Preferably, the side walls and the at least one internal wall are oriented at mutually different orientations emanating from a virtual line of intersection of the planes of the walls. Thus a range of star directions can be imaged with constant sensitivity.
8 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A star tracker, comprising:
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an image sensing arrangement, optics configured to image incoming light on the image sensing arrangement, and a light baffle, the optics being located between the light baffle and the image sensing arrangement, the light baffle comprising an array of walls, including sidewalls and at least one internal wall between the sidewalls, the internal wall separating a space between the sidewalls into separate subspaces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
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13. A method of measuring directions towards celestial objects, the method comprising baffling light before imaging the light onto an image sensing arrangement, using a light baffle that comprises an array of walls, including sidewalls and at least one internal wall between the sidewalls, the internal wall separating a space between the sidewalls into separate subspaces.
Specification