A vision-based approach for high accuracy assessment of satellite attitude

In this work we present the achievements of the approach we have conceived to estimate in real time the attitude of a satellite endowed with an integral camera looking to the Earth. We have implemented the dynamical model that describes how to reconstruct the spatial orientation of the camera using couples of subsequent views, passing through six reference frames. An in-depth analysis of the influences on the accuracy of the different sources of error arising when implementing the dynamical model has been carried out, from the theoretical framework to the laboratory prototype. Through these studies we have been able to characterize, and often overcome, the traps hidden at the development stage to propose the first vision based approach to determine with very a high accuracy the attitude of a satellite in a stand-alone system. Although the achievements refer to a classical mission critical application, the methodological approach, the choices accomplished and the results presented are of general interest.