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SPACE / Attitude & navigation / REVIEWED 2026-09-11

C03Sun sensors

Measure the direction of the Sun.

Manufacturers & products

Sun sensors measure the direction of sunlight for attitude acquisition, safe mode or precision pointing. Analog photodiode units, digital fine sensors and solar-panel-integrated sensors require different spacecraft interfaces.

These are sourcing candidates, not a confirmed Starlink supply chain.

manufacturer

AAC Clyde Space

SS200

Miniature digital fine Sun sensor with accuracy specified over a central angular region and a wider detection field. [2]

Manufacturer inquiry

Contact the manufacturer for the selected configuration and current quotation; this channel is inferred from the official product/contact page, not a stock claim.

Product scope & qualifications

Published maximum update rates disagree between page sections.

View product & inquiry route

manufacturer

NewSpace Systems

AQUILA Sun sensors

Fine Sun-sensor family with configuration-specific electrical and optical characteristics; use the latest AQUILA option sheet for selection. [3]

Manufacturer inquiry

Contact the manufacturer for the selected configuration and current quotation; this channel is inferred from the official product/contact page, not a stock claim.

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manufacturer

CubeSpace

Fine Sun Sensor

Lens-and-imager Sun sensor with wide field coverage and calibrated optical distortion, designed for distributed attitude-sensor mounting. [4]

Company location: South Africa

Manufacturer inquiry

Contact the manufacturer for the selected configuration and current quotation; this channel is inferred from the official product/contact page, not a stock claim.

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manufacturer

GomSpace

NanoSense FSS

Small quadrant-detector Sun sensor with pre-calibration and a digital I2C interface for nanosatellite attitude determination. [5]

Manufacturer inquiry

Contact the manufacturer for the selected configuration and current quotation; this channel is inferred from the official product/contact page, not a stock claim.

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manufacturer

Bradford Space

Fine Sun Sensor

Analog fine Sun sensor with wide-field accuracy specified across mission life and options concerning readout electronics. [6]

Manufacturer inquiry

Contact the manufacturer for the selected configuration and current quotation; this channel is inferred from the official product/contact page, not a stock claim.

Product scope & qualifications

Verify whether the offered configuration includes readout electronics; power and envelope depend on the assembly boundary.

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manufacturer

Solar MEMS

ACSS RH / nanoSSOC / SSOC

Analog and digital Sun-sensor families; ACSS RH is an analog coarse sensor offered with configurable field of view. [7]

Manufacturer inquiry

Contact the manufacturer for the selected configuration and current quotation; this channel is inferred from the official product/contact page, not a stock claim.

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manufacturer

TY-Space

SS-E Sun sensor

Sun-sensor product offered alongside the manufacturer star-tracker portfolio; request its current detailed datasheet and interface definition. [8]

Manufacturer inquiry

Contact the manufacturer for the selected configuration and current quotation; this channel is inferred from the official product/contact page, not a stock claim.

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manufacturer

Space Inventor

FSS-P3

Fine Sun-sensor module using four photodiodes within the supplier GNC portfolio. [1]

Manufacturer inquiry

Contact the manufacturer for the selected configuration and current quotation; this channel is inferred from the official product/contact page, not a stock claim.

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What remains unverified

AAC SS200 page gives 100 Hz in highlights and 10 Hz in its table; update rate is omitted from examples pending clarification.
Solar MEMS FDSS webpage contained ambiguous power entries; only clearly identified sensor products were retained.

Where it comes from

A company address is shown separately from a published factory location. Request the manufacturing site and lot traceability for the exact part when sourcing.

What to compare

Field of view · °
Compare the complete usable field, not a half-angle against a total angle, and verify required all-sky sensor placement.
Accuracy over field · °; σ
Retain confidence level and angular region; central-field accuracy may not hold at the edge.
Stray light and albedo
Ask about Earth albedo, reflection sensitivity, eclipse transitions and Sun-detection thresholds.
Analog versus digital
Analog output requires ADC, biasing and calibration; a digital interface can move those functions into the sensor.
Update and settling · Hz; ms
Check sampling rate, conversion time and response after bright-light transitions.
Power and electrical interface · V; mW
Include signal-conditioning electronics where they are not part of the optical head.
Mounting and thermal calibration · mm; g; °C
Assess panel distortion, alignment references, temperatures and calibration delivery.
Life degradation
Compare beginning- and end-of-life accuracy with the actual radiation and contamination environment.

Selection & integration notes

Solar-panel sun photodiodes are integrated sensing options rather than automatically interchangeable standalone fine sensors.
Sensor field of view does not establish full-spacecraft Sun coverage; placement and obstructions matter.

Published product examples

3 REFERENCES

Specifications belong to the named product and configuration.

AAC SS200AAC Clyde Space

Accuracy: <0.3° (1σ)[2]Within ±45° from sensor boresight.
Field of view: 110° total[2]Total quoted field; accuracy region is narrower.
Mass: 3 g[2]Sensor only.
Envelope: 24.66 × 15 × 3.5 mm[2]Product table.
Active power: 2.5–40 mW[2]Active-mode range; depends on configuration/operation.

Example sources [2]

GomSpace NanoSense FSSGomSpace

Field of view: ±60°[5]Published field around boresight.
Mass: 2.2 g[5]Sensor module.
Envelope: 22 × 11 × 5 mm[5]Sensor module.

Example sources [5]

Bradford Fine Sun SensorBradford Space

Field of view: 128 × 128°[6]Quoted full field.
Accuracy: ±0.3° (3σ)[6]Manufacturer specifies across mission life.
Mass: 375 g[6]Published assembly configuration.
Envelope: 108 × 108 × 52.5 mm[6]Published assembly configuration.
Power: <0.3 W[6]At ±15 V; confirm readout-electronics variant.

Example sources [6]

Sources & references

REVIEWED 2026-09-11

Manufacturer pages and technical documents support the linked claims. A review date is not a publication date or stock check.

Guidance, navigation and control catalog Space Inventor · Publication date not stated
WHL-P4, STR-P3, FSS-P3, IMU-P4 and MT-P4 product scope; IMU sensor composition.
Accessed 2026-09-10
SS200 AAC Clyde Space · Publication date not stated
Official product identity, scope, interfaces and procurement contact.
Accessed 2026-09-10
AQUILA Sun Sensors — version 26.08 NewSpace Systems · Publication date not stated
AQUILA-A05, H02 and HR configuration scope and current interfaces.
Accessed 2026-09-10
Fine Sun Sensor CubeSpace · Publication date not stated
Official product identity, scope, interfaces and procurement contact.
Accessed 2026-09-10
NanoSense FSS GomSpace · Publication date not stated
Official product identity, scope, interfaces and procurement contact.
Accessed 2026-09-10
Fine Sun Sensor Bradford Space · Publication date not stated
Official product identity, scope, interfaces and procurement contact.
Accessed 2026-09-10
ACSS RH / nanoSSOC / SSOC Solar MEMS · Publication date not stated
Official product identity, scope, interfaces and procurement contact.
Accessed 2026-09-10
SS-E Sun sensor TY-Space · Publication date not stated
Official product identity, scope, interfaces and procurement contact.
Accessed 2026-09-10