Performance of a day time star sensor for a stabilized balloon platform
A modified version of a CCD (charge-coupled device) star tracker originally designed for use on the ROSAT X-ray astronomy satellite has been built for use on a three-axis-stabilized balloon platform. The first flight of this star sensor was planned for May 1988 from the NASA balloon base at Palestine, Texas. Descriptions are given of the star sensor head, flight electronics, and steering system. The expected performance of this instrument is described along with the preflight results, which confirm its performance. >