Accession Number:

ADA021974

Title:

Techniques for Remote Sensing of Missile Position and Attitude

Descriptive Note:

Technical rept.

Corporate Author:

ARMY MISSILE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING LAB REDSTONE ARSENAL AL AEROBALLISTICS DIRECTORATE

Personal Author(s):

• Conard, Robert G.
• Pell, Kynric M.
• Nydahl, John E.
• Brown, David B.

Report Date:

1975-10-01

Pagination or Media Count:

37.0

Abstract:

This report presents a mathematical analysis of a three station laser tracker and a two station laser tracker concept for measuring the position and attitude of spinning rockets and missiles. An assessment is included of the errors of attitude measurements which result from the geometrical location of the rocket relative to the laser tracking stations. The two station system includes a concept developed by Ballistic Research Laboratories for the yawsonde attitude measurement system. Whereas the yawsonde utilizes the sun as the energy source, this system will utilize two laser trackers. Two arrays of roof reflectors which are skewed to the rocket axis will be employed on the rocket to reflect the laser beam. A mathematical analysis is presented for this system. The determination of the attitude angles requires the solution of two simultaneous differential equations. Since multiple solutions to these equations can be obtained, additional analysis of this system is warranted.

Descriptors:

• *ATTITUDE INDICATORS
• *REMOTE DETECTORS
• *LASER TRACKING
• LASER BEAMS
• MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS
• POSITION FINDING
• ROCKETS
• GUIDED MISSILES
• DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
• SPINNING(MOTION)
• YAW
• PITCH(MOTION)
• SUN

Subject Categories:

• Lasers and Masers

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE