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Paper: The ST5000: An Attitude Determination System with Low-Bandwidth Digital Imaging
Volume: 238, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems X
Page: 463
Authors: Percival, J. W.; Nordsieck, K. H.
Abstract: The Space Astronomy Laboratory is building an attitude determination and digital imaging system with embedded compression. The attitude determination system uses a 30-square-degree field of view and an embedded star catalog to determine the Right Ascension and Declination of its line of sight to better than 5 arcseconds. The digital imaging subsystem uses a scheme of ``progressive image transmission'' in which the image is sent out over a very-low-bandwidth channel, such as a spacecraft telemetry downlink, in such a way that it can be reconstructed ``on the fly'' and updated as more data arrive. Large (768×474) useful images can be obtained over a 4-kbit downlink in as little as 10 seconds. In addition to its use in sounding rockets and spacecraft, we are planning to use it for two ground-based applications at the Southern Africa Large Telescope (SALT). We will explore its use in generating real-time measurements of the telescope pointing, independent of the telescope control system, and we will use the low bandwidth imaging capability for public outreach.
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