Standardized Coarse Azimuth Pointing System

The Standardized Coarse Azimuth Pointing System is a system for any balloon-borne platform with a suspended payload that was less than 5,500 lbs. It separates the rotation of the gondola and the payload from the balloon. The rotator utilizes GPS and solar sensors for command orientation of the payload. There are solar sensors at the top of the rotator providing a 360-degree view. A guidance, navigation, and control system commands sensors to look at a specific point. For example, sensors can detect the position of the sun. The sensor command is sent through the avionics packages on board to start the motor and turn the shaft until the sensors send feedback that they are at the commanded position. The rotator holds the payload at that position until commanded otherwise. The rotator is designed to have a 5 arc-minute pointing capability, and it has demonstrated a 1.4 arc-minute accuracy. The motor runs on a 28V battery source. The system is designed to be operational in a thermal range of -80 degrees Celsius to +50 degrees Celsius. The system can also accommodate the option of integrating a slip ring with 20 separate channels for power, DSL link, and AART communications. The Standardized Coarse Azimuth Pointing System features a hollow titanium shaft, 3-D printed solar sensor mounts, 3-D printed avionics package mounts, and a custom motor frame mount. The system also utilizes 3-D printed templates to standardize the assembly of both rotators, so that nonuniform match drilling is not a problem.