Comparison between New Materials and Traditional Materials for Star tracker

Star tracker work in space environments and have strict material requirements:

Durability:The material must be able to work stably in a space environment for a long time,withstand radiation,high and low temperature changes,and vacuum conditions.

Lightweight:Materials should be as lightweight as possible to reduce the total mass of satellites and lower launch costs.

High transmittance:Materials used for optical components require high transmittance to ensure the imaging quality of the optical system.

Low thermal expansion coefficient:The material needs to maintain size and shape stability during temperature changes to maintain high-precision attitude measurement.

Mechanical strength and stability:The material must have sufficient mechanical strength and rigidity to withstand vibration and impact during launch.

Traditional materials and their limitations

1.Optical glass

Advantages:High transparency,mature manufacturing process.

Limitations:Performance degradation in space radiation environments and susceptibility to thermal expansion.

2.Aluminum alloy

Advantages:Lightweight,high-strength,and easy to process.

Limitations:The coefficient of thermal expansion is relatively high,which can easily cause structural deformation during temperature changes and affect measurement accuracy.

3.Beryllium

Advantages:Lightweight,good rigidity,low coefficient of thermal expansion.

Limitations:Difficulty in processing,high cost,and toxicity to the human body.

Development and Application of New Materials

1.Silicon materials

Application:Monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon are widely used in sensor chips.

Advantages:Excellent optical and mechanical properties,high radiation tolerance.

2.Carbon fiber reinforced composite materials(CFRP)

Application:Structural components,support frames,etc.

Advantages:High strength,lightweight,low coefficient of thermal expansion,and good fatigue resistance.

3.Silicon carbide(SiC)

Application:High precision optical components(such as lenses).

Advantages:Extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion,excellent mechanical strength,and radiation resistance.

4.Sapphire(Al2O3)

Application:Protecting windows and optical components.

Advantages:High hardness,radiation resistance,and excellent optical performance.

5.Quartz glass

Application:Optical systems,window materials.

Advantages:Excellent optical transmittance and thermal stability,radiation resistance.

6.Low thermal expansion alloy

Application:such as Invar alloy(Fe Ni alloy),used for high stability structural components.

Advantages:Extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion,stable size under temperature changes.

7.Smart materials

Application:Shape memory alloys,piezoelectric materials,used in adaptive optical systems.

Advantages:The ability to adjust according to external conditions and improve the system’s adaptability.

8.Nanomaterials

Application:Carbon nanotubes,graphene,may be used in sensors and structural components in the future.

Advantages:Excellent thermal conductivity,electrical performance,and mechanical strength.

Through the replacement of materials and the application of new materials,the performance of star tracker has been significantly improved.In the future,with the continuous progress of technology,more high-performance materials will be developed and applied in star tracker,further improving their accuracy,stability,and durability,providing solid technical support for the development of the aerospace industry.