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18 April 2024 |
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Article overview
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Getting NuSTAR on target: predicting mast motion | Karl Forster
; Kristin K. Madsen
; Hiromasa Miyasaka
; William W. Craig
; Fiona A. Harrison
; Vikram R. Rana
; Craig B. Markwardt
; Brian W. Grefenstette
; | Date: |
4 Aug 2016 | Abstract: | The Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is the first focusing high
energy (3-79 keV) X-ray observatory operating for four years from low Earth
orbit. The X-ray detector arrays are located on the spacecraft bus with the
optics modules mounted on a flexible mast of 10.14m length. The motion of the
telescope optical axis on the detectors during each observation is measured by
a laser metrology system and matches the pre-launch predictions of the thermal
flexing of the mast as the spacecraft enters and exits the Earths shadow each
orbit. However, an additional motion of the telescope field of view was
discovered during observatory commissioning that is associated with the
spacecraft attitude control system and an additional flexing of the mast
correlated with the Solar aspect angle for the observation. We present the
methodology developed to predict where any particular target coordinate will
fall on the NuSTAR detectors based on the Solar aspect angle at the scheduled
time of an observation. This may be applicable to future observatories that
employ optics deployed on extendable masts. The automation of the prediction
system has greatly improved observatory operations efficiency and the
reliability of observation planning. | Source: | arXiv, 1608.1704 | Services: | Forum | Review | PDF | Favorites |
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