Navigation and pointing timeline development for an autonomous free-flying Shuttle payload

This paper describes the techniques and analyses used to construct the Spartan 101 mission pointing timeline for the Orbiter detached portion of its flight. It covers the design process that had to transform requirements and constraints originating from the experimenter, the Space Transportation System, and the payload hardware design into a workable set of pointing instructions sequenced to mission events. The paper discusses the technical approach used for initial attitude acquisition, determining target visibility, observation scheduling, and calculation of payload maneuvers.