Precise attitude determination strategy for spacecraft based on information fusion of attitude sensors: Gyros/GPS/Star-sensor

The rigorous requirements of modern spacecraft missions necessitate a precise attitude determination strategy. This paper mainly researches that, based on three space-borne attitude sensors: 3-axis rate gyros, 3-antenna GPS receiver and starsensor. To obtain global attitude estimation after an information fusion process, a feedback-involved Federated Kalman Filter (FKF), consisting of two subsystem Kalman filters (Gyros/GPS and Gyros/Star-sensor), is established. In these filters, the state equation is implemented according to the spacecraft’s kinematic attitude model, while the residual error models of GPS and star-sensor observed attitude are utilized, to establish two observation equations, respectively. Taking the sensors’ different update rates into account, these two subsystem filters are conducted under a variable step size state prediction method. To improve the fault tolerant capacity of the attitude determination system, this paper designs malfunction warning factors, based on the principle of χ² residual verification. Mathematical simulation indicates that the information fusion strategy overwhelms the disadvantages of each sensor, acquiring global attitude estimation with precision at a 2-arcsecs level. Although a subsystem encounters malfunction, FKF still reaches precise and stable accuracy. In this process, malfunction warning factors advice malfunctions correctly and effectively.