Navigation system
Star Tracker
A small camera that identifies star patterns to determine which way a spacecraft is pointed, to a fraction of an arcsecond. Star trackers give the precise attitude a spacecraft needs to aim its high-gain antenna at Earth and its instruments at a target.
Related
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
- NASA JPLJet Propulsion Laboratory / Solar System Dynamics
Orbital data, ephemerides, and small-body parameters for planets, asteroids, and comets.