Traditionally, star sensors have used fairly large fields of view and bright stars to perform tracking and identification. Recent trends in space missions have brought out the need for smaller field-of-view sensors, capable of performing multiple functions that will reduce spacecraft payload and cost. A number of different strategies are used or have been suggested for identifying star fields for attitude determination in space. We offer a general classification of the existing techniques and select three representative algorithms for more comprehensive evaluation. The identification rates and performance of the three algorithms are presented over a variety of noise conditions using two different sized onboard catalogs. Substantial differences in algorithm performance are identified for various noise levels, which should provide some indication of the suitability of the algorithm for smaller fields of view. References: 21
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