Nano Star Trackers (NST)
Blue Canyon Technologies
Blue Canyon Technologies' Nano Star Trackers (NST) are low SWaP-C attitude sensors offering lost-in-space star identification with flight-proven heritage.
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- Mass
- 0.35 kg
Normalised to common units so this product can be compared with others in its category. The supplier's own wording is below.
As published by the supplier
- Standard nst - mass
- 0.35 kg
- Standard nst - dimensions
- 10 x 5 x 5.5 cm
- Standard nst - accuracy cross-boresight
- 6 arcsec
- Standard nst - accuracy about-boresight
- 40 arcsec
- Mid-extension nst - mass
- 0.45 kg
- Mid-extension nst - dimensions
- 17 x 8.5 x 7 cm
- Mid-extension nst - accuracy cross-boresight
- 1 arcsec
- Mid-extension nst - accuracy about-boresight
- 10 arcsec
- Full extension nst - mass
- 0.85 kg
- Full extension nst - dimensions
- 25 x 10 x 10 cm
- Full extension nst - accuracy cross-boresight
- 1 arcsec
- Full extension nst - accuracy about-boresight
- 10 arcsec
- Manufactured
- 960
- Launched
- 390
About
Blue Canyon’s Nano Star Trackers (NST) are a family of low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) star tracker sensors designed for spacecraft attitude determination. They feature lost-in-space star identification capability, meaning they can determine spacecraft attitude without prior knowledge of orientation. The units offer a user-friendly RS-422 or RS-485 communication interface for integration with spacecraft avionics. The NST product line has proven flight heritage on demanding missions and is EMI/EMC tested to MIL-STD-461 as well as shock test qualified, ensuring robustness for the space environment. The family includes three configurations to suit different mission accuracy and size requirements: the Standard NST, a compact unit measuring 10 x 5 x 5.5 cm and weighing 0.35 kg with cross-boresight accuracy of 6 arcsec and about-boresight accuracy of 40 arcsec; the Mid-Extension NST, measuring 17 x 8.5 x 7 cm and weighing 0.45 kg with improved cross-boresight accuracy of 1 arcsec and about-boresight accuracy of 10 arcsec; and the Full Extension NST, measuring 25 x 10 x 10 cm and weighing 0.85 kg, also achieving 1 arcsec cross-boresight and 10 arcsec about-boresight accuracy. As of the product page, 960 units have been manufactured and 390 have been launched, demonstrating significant flight heritage across the NST family.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.