BLAST autonomous daytime star cameras

Marie Rex; Edward Chapin; Mark J. Devlin; Joshua Gundersen; Jeff Klein; Enzo Pascale; Donald Wiebe

doi:10.1117/12.671965

29 June 2006 BLAST autonomous daytime star cameras

Marie Rex, Edward Chapin, Mark J. Devlin, Joshua Gundersen, Jeff Klein, Enzo Pascale, Donald Wiebe

Proceedings Volume 6269, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy; 62693H (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.671965
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2006, Orlando, Florida , United States

Abstract

We have developed two redundant daytime star cameras to provide the fine pointing solution for the balloon-borne submillimeter telescope, BLAST. The cameras are capable of providing a reconstructed pointing solution with an absolute accuracy < 5". They are sensitive to stars down to magnitudes ~ 9 in daytime float conditions. Each camera combines a 1 megapixel CCD with a 200mm f/2 lens to image a 2° × 2.5° field of the sky. The instruments are autonomous. An internal computer controls the temperature, adjusts the focus, and determines a real-time pointing solution at 1 Hz. The mechanical details and flight performance of these instruments are presented.

Citation Download Citation

Marie Rex, Edward Chapin, Mark J. Devlin, Joshua Gundersen, Jeff Klein, Enzo Pascale, and Donald Wiebe "BLAST autonomous daytime star cameras", Proc. SPIE 6269, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy, 62693H (29 June 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.671965

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