Aero-Thermal Radiation Effects Simulation Technique for Star Sensor Imaging Under Hypersonic Conditions

In order to investigate the effect of aero-thermal radiation on star sensor detection capability in near-space hypersonic flight platforms, this article proposes a star sensor simulation imaging technique that couples aerodynamic flow field thermal radiation with target star signals. First, a regional conical imaging sampling model is constructed to preprocess the flow field data, significantly improving computational efficiency. Second, a radiation transfer equation for nonequilibrium flow fields is introduced to establish an energy transfer model based on the star sensor’s optical link. Finally, the detection performance of the star sensor under different flight conditions is quantitatively analyzed, and some simulation results are compared with flight test data for validation. The results indicate that the simulation model deviates by less than 30%. The method proposed in this article provides important data and theoretical support for star sensor navigation accuracy analysis and extreme condition assessment.