Spacecraft attitude estimation based on temperature measurements in cuboid configuration

Abstract

In any spacecraft mission it is vital to have knowledge about the attitude. In this context, multiple ways can be employed to estimate the current attitude of the spacecraft. As temperature sensors are cheap and lightweight they appear to be a viable alternative. A method is investigated to estimate the attitude of a spacecraft based on twelve temperature sensors in a cuboid configuration. The method relies on a proposed mathematical model governing the temperature and attitude dynamics and employs non-linear observer design. Further, it is investigated if the attitude estimation is still possible if some of the sensors are malfunctioning. The proposed algorithms are validated using real mission data.