Centre National Detudes Spatiales

Airbus Defence and Space Sas

Johan Montel

Bernard Polle

Renaud Broquet

Laurent Lebegue

Olivier Puig

Philippe Kubik

The invention relates to a daytime and nighttime stellar sensor (), comprising: at least one video camera () suitable for taking images of stars () in the sky; and a control unit (), characterized in that it furthermore comprises: a polarizer (), the control unit () being configured: to obtain an estimation of a direction of polarization of the polarized light received from the sky by the video camera (); and to control the orientation of the polarizer () so that said polarizer () filters polarized light from the sky directed toward the video camera () and having said polarization direction.

Daytime and nighttime stellar sensor with active polarizer

A method for calibrating spatial errors induced by phase biases having a detrimental effect on the measurements of phase differences of radio signals received by three unaligned receiving antennas of a vehicle. An inter-satellite angular deviation of a pair of satellites is estimated in two different ways: on the basis of the respective positions of the vehicle and of the satellites to obtain a theoretical inter-satellite angular deviation; and on the basis of the respective directions of incidence of the satellites relative to the vehicle, which are determined from phase measurements, to obtain an estimated inter-satellite angular deviation. The space errors are estimated on the basis of said theoretical and estimated inter-satellite angular deviations. Also, a method and system for estimating the attitude of a vehicle, in particular a spacecraft.

Method for calibrating spatial errors, and method and system for estimating the attitude of a vehicle

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Maurens Scopont, France

Johan Montel