A SURVEY ON CUBESAT STAR TRACKER DESIGNS

Abstract

The rapid development of CubeSats has introduced new opportunities and challenges in space exploration, particularly in the realm of satellite attitude determination. Among the key technologies enabling precise attitude control is the star tracker, a sensor that uses star patterns to determine a satellite's orientation. This survey reviews the current state of star tracker design, specifically for CubeSats, covering both hardware and software components. It discusses critical elements such as optical assemblies, image sensors, and processing units, as well as algorithms used for star identification and attitude determination. The paper also compares commercial solutions with open-source, low-cost alternatives.