Sun sensor

[1][2] Sun sensors are used for attitude control, solar array pointing, gyro updating, and fail-safe recovery.

[3][4] In addition to spacecraft, Sun sensors find use in ground-based weather stations and Sun-tracking systems, and aerial vehicles including balloons and UAVs.

[2] There are various types of Sun sensors, which differ in their technology and performance characteristics.

By orienting two sensors perpendicular to each other, the direction of the Sun can be fully determined.

[3] There are a number of design and performance criteria which dictate the selection of a Sun sensor model:

Non-linear Sun sensor used by the TET-1 German microsatellite .