The optimized model for angular velocity estimation in high-dynamic star sensors with rolling shutter exposure mode

Abstract Angular velocity is a critical parameter for satellites during on-orbit operation. Current gyro-free angular velocity estimation methods based on star sensors predominantly rely on multiple frames of star images and are effective under relatively small maneuvers of the star sensor. This paper proposes an angular velocity estimation approach utilizing single-frame star image data captured by a high-dynamic star sensor operating under rolling shutter exposure mode. By analyzing the motion patterns of star points in single-frame images, an angular velocity estimation optimization model was established with inter-star angular distances as the objective function. Accurate angular velocity estimation was achieved through the simulated annealing algorithm. To evaluate the star sensor’s performance under high-dynamic conditions, three representative operational working conditions were simulated numerically. Experimental results demonstrate that under constant dual-axis angular velocity of 15° s −1 , the root mean square errors for triaxial angular velocity estimation are 0.0378° s −1 ( X -axis), 0.0365° s −1 ( Y -axis), and 0.1947° s −1 ( Z -axis). Notably, when subjected to sinusoidal/cosinusoidal dynamic angular velocity excitation with amplitude of 15° s −1 , the maximum comprehensive error of triaxial angular velocity estimation does not exceed 0.103° s −1 , validating the algorithm’s robustness in complex motion environments.