Coarse Sun Sensor (CSS)
bradford-space-ecaps
Rugged self-redundant sun sensor delivering coarse solar position data for safe-mode and coarse maneuvering.
Technical specifications
- Field of View
- Hemispherical
- Redundancy
- Self-redundant
- In Production Since
- 1975
About
The Coarse Sun Sensor (CSS) from Bradford Space delivers coarse information about the position of the sun relative to the spacecraft. This information is used for coarse maneuvering of the spacecraft and to inform it about the sun’s position when in a safe mode of operation.
The CSS is a rugged, highly reliable, self-redundant device designed to detect sunlight in potentially a hemispherical field of view (FOV). The sensor delivers individual detector outputs to the Attitude and Orbit Control Subsystem (AOCS), enabling the derivation of solar aspect angles for offset sun positions across a portion of the near-hemispherical FOV.
Continuously in production since 1975, the CSS has flight heritage across LEO, MEO, HEO, GEO, planetary and interplanetary orbits.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
