AN AI-BASED SYSTEM FOR AN ACTIVE TRACKING OF EARTH FEATURES FROM OPS-SAT

In this activity, a proof of concept of an attitude control system based on artificial intelligence, as an alternative to current state-of-the-art systems based on model approaches, was developed and tested in a simulator and in the engineering model of ESA's OPS-SAT. The system relies on computer vision and deep reinforcement learning algorithms to command OPS-SAT's reaction wheels in order to actively modify its attitude, so that the onboard optical camera keeps framed and focused on a target without the aid of any other instrument, such as the star tracker, the ADCS or the GPS receiver.