Design and analysis of a star simulator suitable for confined space

Star sensors on satellite require on-orbit thermal control via a radiator. Because of spatial interference between the star sensor radiator and the star simulator for the sensor, the radiator needs to be removed temporarily during the star simulator test. In order to solve the problem, a new structure for the star simulator which is suitable for confined space is designed. By analysing the operation process and the spatial feature of the star simulator test, a miniaturized star simulator structure is precisely sized by using the micro-deformation at working condition. Also, the tolerance of the optical axis angle and rotation angle is calculated. The on-board test verifies the feasibility that the new static star simulator is compatible with the shape of star sensor radiator and performs well at reducing operational risk. The application of the new star simulator enhances assembly efficiency benefited from the compact size.