Sun Vector and Magnetic Vector Simulation for Hardware in the Loop Tests

Simulating environmental conditions for the satellite attitude sensors is a fundamental requirement of hardware in the loop tests of attitude determination and control subsystem. In this paper, a new design for simulating sun vector and magnetic vector is presented. The operating environment for attitude sensors is simulated using a sun simulator, a two-degree-of-freedom table for changing the attitude of the sun sensor, and a three-axis Helmholtz coil. The sensors measurements showed that with this setup, the sun and magnetic vectors can be created with an acceptable accuracy using the orbital position and the attitude of the satellite. So, the test bed can be used for attitude determination of hardware in the loop tests.