Initial performance of the aspect system on the Chandra Observatory: postfacto aspect reconstruction

Thomas L. Aldcroft; Margarita Karovska; Mark L. Cresitello-Dittmar; Robert A. Cameron; Maxim L. Markevitch

doi:10.1117/12.391604

18 July 2000 Initial performance of the aspect system on the Chandra Observatory: postfacto aspect reconstruction

Thomas L. Aldcroft, Margarita Karovska, Mark L. Cresitello-Dittmar, Robert A. Cameron, Maxim L. Markevitch

Proceedings Volume 4012, X-Ray Optics, Instruments, and Missions III; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.391604
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2000, Munich, Germany

Abstract

The aspect system of the Chandra Observatory plays a key role in realizing the full potential of Chandra's X-ray optics and detectors. To achieve the highest spatial and spectral resolution (for grating observations), an accurate post-facto time history of the spacecraft attitude and internal alignment is needed. The CXC has developed a suite of tools which process sensor data from the aspect camera assembly and gyroscopes, and produce the spacecraft aspect solution. In this poster, the design of the aspect pipeline software is briefly described, followed by details of aspect system performance during the first eight months of flight. The two key metrics of aspect performance are: image reconstruction accuracy, which measures the X-ray image blurring introduced by aspect; and celestial location, which is the accuracy of detected source positions in absolute sky coordinates.

Citation Download Citation

Thomas L. Aldcroft, Margarita Karovska, Mark L. Cresitello-Dittmar, Robert A. Cameron, and Maxim L. Markevitch "Initial performance of the aspect system on the Chandra Observatory: postfacto aspect reconstruction", Proc. SPIE 4012, X-Ray Optics, Instruments, and Missions III, (18 July 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.391604

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