Attitude determination designs for the GOES spacecraft

This paper presents a summary of the basic simulation parameters and results of a study for the GOES. The study involved the simulation of minor modifications to the current spacecraft, so that the relative performance of these modifications can be analyzed. The first modification studied requires the placement of a baseline inertial reference unit, such as the Dry Rotor Inertial Reference Unit or the Space Inertial Reference Unit, onto the spacecraft. The second modification involves using the imager/sounder assembly for real-time on-board attitude determination information. The third modification studied is the addition of star trackers to provide precise attitude knowledge. Simulation results are presented for each modification.