ASTRO APS Autonomous Star Sensor
Jena-Optronik
Heritage autonomous star sensor for LEO-GEO-deep space: <1/18yr lifetime, >470 units contracted including NASA Orion/Artemis.
Technical specifications
- Field of View
- 20 deg circular
- Optics
- Refractive, 43mm focal length, f/1.2, rad-hard glass
- Detector
- 1024x1024 px; HAS2 or STAR1000 APS CMOS
- Attitude Random Error XY (1-sigma)
- <1 arcsec
- Attitude Random Error Z (1-sigma)
- <8 arcsec
- Bias Error
- <5 arcsec (all axes)
- Sampling Rate
- 10 Hz (up to 32 Hz on demand)
- Acquisition Time
- <10s switch-on; <5s re-acquisition
- Max Slew Rate
- 3.0-5.0 deg/s (detector dependent)
- Sensitivity
- 6.0 mi
- Mass
- ~2 kg (incl. baffle, GEO shielding, DC/DC, MIL-1553)
- Dimensions
- 154 x 154 x 237 mm (incl. baffle)
- Power
- <6W (Peltier OFF); <12W (Peltier ON)
- Supply Voltage
- 28V, 50V, 100V
- Interface
- MIL-STD-1553B, RS422
- Sun Exclusion Angle
- 26 deg half-cone
- Operating Temperature
- -30 to +60 deg C
- Design Lifetime
- >18 years
- TRL
- 9 (~200 units in space, Orion/Artemis flight heritage)
About
The Jena-Optronik ASTRO APS is an autonomous star sensor using radiation-hard CMOS APS detector technology, designed for all mission scenarios including LEO, MEO, HEO, GEO, and deep space/crewed missions. With integrated optics and electronics in a single housing (154x154x237mm including baffle), the ASTRO APS delivers less than 1 arcsec (1-sigma) random error across-boresight and less than 8 arcsec boresight, with bias error under 5 arcsec. Sampling rate is 10 Hz (up to 32 Hz available); acquisition time is less than 10s on switch-on and less than 5s for re-acquisition. Supports HAS2 and STAR1000 APS CMOS detectors. Over 470 units contracted with approximately 200 in space. Notable missions include Alphasat (first flight 2013), NASA Orion/Artemis I and II, and the Roman Space Telescope.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
