Description and analysis of an algorithm for star identification, pointing, and tracking systems

Software for star field identification and star pointing and tracking is described. The software will be implemented in the guiding system of UVSTAR, a spectrograph/telescope system for UV astronomy and planetary physics that will operate as a Hitchhiker payload on the Shuttle. The software work with the wide-field CCD camera and an on-board stellar catalog. It is capable of (1) providing high accuracy (better than 2 arcsec) attitude determination from coarse (± 3 deg) initial knowledge of the pointing direction and (2) pointing toward the target. It is capable of tracking at the same high accuracy with a processing time of less than a few hundredths of a second. Simulation of observations and various types of tests are also discussed.