Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2024, Vol. 21, No. 4, pp. 63-71
Rough estimation of the local vertical using the visible horizon line
1 Space Research Institute RAS, Moscow, Russia
Accepted: 01.07.2024
DOI: 10.21046/2070-7401-2024-21-4-63-71
The work is devoted to assessing the possibilities of creating a simple and cheap optical local vertical sensor using only domestic components. The local vertical sensor is designed for installation on board mini- and microsatellites. The error in estimating the local vertical should not exceed 1°. The sensor must operate in the visible range of electromagnetic waves. It is supposed to use domestic lines of photodiodes as photo sensors. Two methods have been proposed for estimating the orientation angles of the sensor relative to the Earth. The first method potentially has a higher measurement accuracy. The second method is simpler and allows processing of images generated by a special modeling test-bed containing a sensor model made on the basis of a fish-eye camera. Simulation showed the possibility of obtaining maximum angle estimation errors of the order of 0.66° and root mean square errors in the range of 0.162–0.184°. These estimates do not take into account instability of the horizon line, caused by non-stationary characteristics of the atmosphere (in particular, changes in the Earth’s cloud layer), as well as changes in lighting conditions when the position of the Sun changes.
Keywords: a simple, cheap local vertical sensor in the visible range of electromagnetic waves for mini- and microsatellites
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