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How did Phoenix manage to orientate itself E-W when Landing
Sandro
post Jun 4 2008, 01:20 PM
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Hi together

During the hot phase of the EDL-sequence with thrusters active, phoenix made automatically many different attitude controls. Among them was the orientation of phoenix's arm to the north. I wondered how phoenix found out his actual orientation and where north was. Since Mars does not have a strong dipol magnetic field like earth, I assume there must have been some other way to figure out the current orientation?!

I thought of maybe using the sun? But this would have been not easy at all!

Does anyone know how this was done?

Many thanks in advance!

Regards,
Sandro
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Sandro
post Jun 5 2008, 07:19 PM
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Group: Members
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oh man, didn't think the answer is going to be this "complicated"! I didn't understand everything but I think I got the main idea. If I understood you correctly they used the stars as long as possible, then switched to the IMU. The IMU registered EVERY motion of the lander and therefore always knew the exact orientation of phoenix?!
This is just amazing.....

Many thanks for your explanations!

Regards,
Sandro
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Posts in this topic
- Sandro   How did Phoenix manage to orientate itself E-W when Landing   Jun 4 2008, 01:20 PM
- - jmknapp   QUOTE (Sandro @ Jun 4 2008, 09:20 AM) I w...   Jun 4 2008, 02:20 PM
|- - ugordan   Are you sure propagation of IMU data is good enoug...   Jun 4 2008, 02:24 PM
|- - MahFL   I am pretty sure the IMU's contolled the posit...   Jun 4 2008, 02:35 PM
|- - jmknapp   QUOTE (ugordan @ Jun 4 2008, 10:24 AM) Ar...   Jun 4 2008, 03:26 PM
- - nprev   I can see IMUs providing that degree of accuracy, ...   Jun 4 2008, 04:55 PM
- - dvandorn   Yep -- this is what's called a stable matrix. ...   Jun 4 2008, 05:51 PM
- - Sandro   oh man, didn't think the answer is going to be...   Jun 5 2008, 07:19 PM

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