A linkage driven fast steering mirror for optical imaging payloads
- Paper ID
97452
- DOI
- author
- company
Macquarie University; Sitle; University of Melbourne; UNSW Australia; University of New South Wales
- country
Australia
- year
2025
- abstract
Satellites carrying imaging payloads will traditionally slew to a target using a satellites attitude control system. This imposes more challenging requirements on pointing accuracy and slew rate than is necessary for other types of payloads. The alternative solution is a gimbal mount for the imaging payload. A traditional two axis gimbal however has several issues that are problematic in space. One motor typically moves, increasing the mobile mass and resulting in a larger potential impact on the host platform. Accomodating power and thermal connections to the mobile motor and/or the imaging payload through a rotary joint also adds complexity in system design. A gimbal mount also becomes less practical the larger the imaging payload is. We present a novel arrangement of a fast steering mirror in conjunction with a static imaging payload to achieve fast and accurate pointing decoupled from satellite attitude. The specific arrangement uses a virtual gimbal composed of linkages, eliminating the need for electrical feedthroughs and minimising the mass being steered. It also allows all motors and cables to be static with respect to the satellite bus, simplifying vibration hardening and thermal management. A prototype steering mirror unit has been built to develop the concept, which is available for demonstration at the IAC.