Attitude control and navigation system for high resolution imaging

An attitude and imaging control system for a space craft comprising:

• image data generating means for generating images representative of a predetermined target during limited periods of relatively short duration when said target is in view mounted on the space craft, said image data generating means having a line of sight, said means adapted to generate a signal containing image data representing at least a partial target image, when said line of sight is aligned with the target and transmit said image signal to a ground receiving station;
• an attitude control system mounted on the space craft and further comprising:
• means mounted on the space craft to receive data indicative of the actual attitude and orbital position of the space craft and to generate a signal relative thereto;
• computer means mounted on the space craft to process the position and attitude signal, and to compare said signal to predetermined data representative of the orbital position and attitude required to align the line of sight of the image generating means with the target, and to generate an attitude control adjustment signal indicative of the attitude adjustment required to align the line of sight with the target;
• attitude control actuating means mounted on the space craft adapted to adjust the attitude of the space craft in response to the attitude control adjustment signal;
• wherein said computer means disables said attitude control system during the operation of the image signal generating means to avoid attitude adjustment maneuvers which have an adverse effect on the image signal;
• and
• a ground receiving station adapted to receive the image signal and to transmit said signal to a receiving station computer, said receiving station computer comprising:
• means for receiving and processing said signal to generate partial images of the target and identify said partial images relative to each other substantially independent of movement of the image generating means during image generation;
• and
• means to assemble said partial images into a composite of contiguous partial images representative of the complete target.