The Fine Sun Sensor (FSS) from Bradford Space is a Sun Sensor designed to provide precise solar position measurements for spacecraft attitude determination, yaw steering, Earth-pointing systems and solar array orientation. Based on an analogue quadrant detector, the sensor accurately measures the solar aspect angle in two axes by processing signals from four detector quadrants, effectively compensating for temperature variations, radiation effects and optical window degradation.
Qualified for both Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions and highly elliptical orbits through the Van Allen radiation belts, it delivers reliable performance in space environments. This space-qualified sun sensor provides a wide 128° × 128° field of view with a resolution better than 0.03° and a noise equivalent angle below 0.05° (3σ) for highly accurate attitude measurements. It operates from a ±15 V secondary power supply while consuming less than 0.25 W, making it well suited for power-constrained spacecraft. The sensor also incorporates an internal thermistor for electronics temperature monitoring and features extremely low electromagnetic emissions and susceptibility to ensure stable operation alongside other onboard systems.
The Fine Sun Sensor weighs approximately 375 g and is housed in a compact enclosure measuring less than 108 × 108 × 52.5 mm, enabling straightforward integration into a wide range of spacecraft platforms. Compact and reliable, the FSS is ideally suited for satellite attitude control, solar array pointing, Earth observation missions and other space applications requiring accurate, low-power and radiation-tolerant sun-sensing performance.
