Digital Sun Sensor (±64°)
Adcole Space (Redwire)
A two-axis digital sun sensor with ±64° field of view providing medium-accuracy attitude determination. Up to 8 optical heads per electronics unit with proven deep-space flight heritage on Mars 2020 and Parker Solar Probe.
Typed specifications18 values
Discloses 6 of 8 fields engineers filter by in this category (category median 4).
- Accuracy
- 0.1 ° ±0.1°, ±32° DSS · datasheet p.1
- Mass
- 997.9 g electronics, nominal · datasheet p.1 300 g sensor, nominal (0.66 lb) | 997.9 g nom. · Electronics, nominal; converted from lb
- Envelope (L×W×H)
- sensor 3.8" x 3.7" x 2.1" (96 x 94 x 53 mm); electronics 7.5" x 5" x 2.1" (190 x 127 x 53 mm), exclusive of connector datasheet p.1 190 x 127 x 53 mm Electronics (exclusive of connector)
- Output type
- digital serial data stream of two 10-bit data words plus one dedicate… · datasheet p.1
- Field of view
- 32 ° ±32° x ±32° (each sensor); spec block is the ±32° DSS, while … · datasheet p.1
- Supply voltage
- 28 V nom. · 28 ± 7 Vdc (other ranges available) · datasheet p.1 28 V
- Power consumption
- 1 W typical power dissipation · datasheet p.1
- Data interface
- other Serial data stream · datasheet p.1
- Radiation tolerance (TID)
- 100 krad product page
- Sensor class
- digital two-axis datasheet p.1
- Axes
- 2 number of measurement axes, each sensor · datasheet p.1
- Flight heritage
- Yes — Mars 2020, Parker Solar Probe, Cassini product page
- Missions flown
- 100 datasheet
- Resolution
- 0.125 ° LSB size, ±32° DSS · datasheet p.1
Each value is typed with its unit and measurement condition and cites the datasheet page it was taken from. Nothing is guessed: a field that is absent here has not been published by the manufacturer. machine-extracted ✓ checked by NewSpace Market ✓ manufacturer confirmed by the manufacturer.
As published by the supplier9 lines, in the manufacturer's own wording
- Field of view
- ±64°
- Axes
- 2 (per optical head)
- Optical heads per electronics unit
- 1–8 (configurable)
- Output
- Serial digital data stream (sun angle + sun presence bit)
- Dry mass
- 1.3 kg (electronics unit + 1 head)
- Average power
- 1.0 W
- Radiation hardness
- 100 krad (Si)
- Flight heritage
- Yes — Mars 2020, Parker Solar Probe, Cassini
- Status
- In Production
About
The Adcole Space Digital Sun Sensor (±64°) is a two-axis digital sun sensor system that provides sun angle data for medium-accuracy attitude determination across a large ±64° field of view. Each system consists of one or more optical heads — up to eight per electronics unit — with each optical head providing two axes of sun angle data output in digital format.
The DSS64 was selected for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission (Perseverance rover), providing two complete Digital Sun Sensor Systems with eight DSS heads and two processing electronics units. These sensors provided critical positioning and trajectory data from Earth through the interplanetary cruise phase until approximately 12 minutes before atmospheric re-entry at Mars. They have also flown on the Parker Solar Probe and Cassini.
The sensor electronics output a serial digital data stream suitable for direct spacecraft computer interfaces. Optical heads are designed with white silicone paint housings for thermal protection in high-radiation environments. The system is radiation hardened and uses high-reliability components qualified for extended space missions.
Documentation
- SatCatalog_-_Adcole_Maryland_Aerospace_-_Digital_Sun_Sensor_-_Datasheet.pdf PDF source: satcatalog.s3.amazonaws.com ↗
Need the full ICD, test reports or a specific revision? Ask the supplier directly.