Hydra
Sodern
Hydra is a high-performance, modular multi-head star tracker family from Sodern, flight-proven since 2012, offering configurable optical heads and electronic units for satellite attitude determination.
Key figurescomparable across the catalogue
- Lead time
- 1.84 months
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
- Tracking precision
- a few arcseconds
- Detector type
- CMOS
- Sun exclusion angle
- 26°
- Thermoelectric cooler
- Available with or without
- Flight heritage
- More than 245 units launched, flight-proven since 2012, over ten million hours in operation
- Hydra access - manufacturing
- Batch manufacturing & off-the-shelf
- Hydra access - delivery time
- 8-week delivery time
- Hydra access - test plan
- Includes vibration testing, thermal vacuum testing, and calibration
- Hydra access - electronic unit
- No electronic unit, centralized processing by the software embedded in the OBC
- Hydra access - optical heads
- Up to 3 Hydra optical heads
- Hydra baseline - configuration
- Centralized or stand-alone version
- Hydra baseline - electronic unit versions
- LEO, GEO (with enhanced radiation shielding), and TC 'Two Channels' (with hot or cold electronic redundancy in a single unit)
- Hydra baseline - redundancy
- One or two electronic units for redundancy
- Hydra baseline - configuration range
- From 1 to 4 optical heads / from 1 to 2 electronic units
- Hydra custom - missions
- Custom development carried out for the JUICE & EUROPA CLIPPER missions, for example
- Hydra custom - robustness options
- Possibility of improving robustness with additional shielding and hardware or software adaptations
- Hydra custom - low-power version
- Hydra-M (Minimum Power) available
- Hydra custom - support
- Possibility of additional studies and specific support throughout the mission's lifespan
- Eee parts level
- Level 1 or level 2
- Alignment cube orientations
- Configurable
About
Hydra is a high-performance, modular star tracker used for spacecraft attitude determination. It features a multi-head architecture enabling autonomous operation with enhanced robustness, precision, and ease of use. The optical head and baffle provide fast acquisition and tracking precision of a few arcseconds using a CMOS detector, a 26° sun exclusion angle, and are available with or without a thermoelectric cooler. The star tracker software can be implemented either in the Hydra electronic unit (EU) or on the satellite’s onboard computer (OBC), with a software library available for various OBCs. Electronic units are offered in Hydra Baseline and Hydra TC (‘Two Channels’, fully redundant) versions, with a centralized processing version also available. The Hydra range is available in three product lines: Hydra Access, the most affordable, batch-manufactured, off-the-shelf version with an 8-week delivery time, standard test plan (vibration, thermal vacuum, calibration), no electronic unit (centralized processing on the OBC), and up to 3 optical heads; Hydra Baseline, a best-in-class, highly modular version available in centralized or stand-alone configuration, with three electronic unit versions (LEO, GEO with enhanced radiation shielding, and TC with hot or cold redundancy in a single unit), one or two electronic units for redundancy, and from 1 to 4 optical heads with 1 to 2 electronic units; and Hydra Custom, a custom development carried out for missions such as JUICE and Europa Clipper, offering improved robustness via additional shielding and hardware/software adaptations, a low-power Hydra-M (Minimum Power) variant, and additional studies and mission-lifespan support. More than 245 Hydra units have been launched, accumulating over ten million hours in operation. Additional options include EEE parts level 1 or level 2, with or without thermo-electric cooler, alignment cube orientations, and software options to enhance performance. Testing and support options include training on Sodern star trackers and ground support equipment, mission-specific radiation and performance assessments, technical support for software integration, engineering models, star tracker numerical performance models, static or dynamic optical ground support equipment, and electrical ground support equipment for hardware-in-the-loop testing.
Documentation
- HYDRA_ACCESS_de7364cee6.pdf PDF source: api.sodern.com ↗
- HYDRA_BASELINE_762a952db4.pdf PDF source: api.sodern.com ↗
Need the full ICD, test reports or a specific revision? Ask the supplier directly.