NST Nano Star Tracker
Blue Canyon Technologies
Flight-proven nano star tracker for CubeSats and small satellites; 3 configurations (standard, mid-extension, full-extension) with starlight-in, quaternion-out output.
Technical specifications
- Configurations
- Standard NST, Mid Extension NST, Full Extension NST
- Limiting magnitude
- 7.5 magnitude
- Star catalog
- 20,000+ stars on-board
- Output
- Starlight-in, quaternion-out (turnkey)
- Qualification
- Qualified beyond GEVS level environments
- Interface
- Compatible with BCT XB1 avionics and third-party buses
- Flight heritage
- NASA MarCO, TROPICS, Starling, HaloSat, 50+ CubeSat missions
About
The BCT Nano Star Tracker (NST) is the industry’s most widely flown miniaturized star tracker, offering a turnkey starlight-in, quaternion-out solution compatible with CubeSat and small satellite platforms of all classes. Qualified beyond GEVS-level environments, the NST tracks down to 7.5 magnitude stars from an on-board catalog of more than 20,000 stars. Three mechanical configurations are offered — Standard, Mid Extension, and Full Extension — to accommodate different spacecraft layouts and boresight placement requirements. The NST integrates seamlessly with BCT’s XB1 avionics and is also available standalone for non-BCT bus customers.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
