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Results of the HIPPARCOS in-orbit payload calibration.

Davies, P. E.; McDonald, A. J. C.

The HIPPARCOS satellite is the European Space Agency's first mission dedicated to global astrometry. The spacecraft is in a geostationary transfer-type orbit with perigee at about 500 km instead of the planned geostationary orbit. From this orbit, the satellite will systematically scan the entire sky using a predefined attitude law. The output of …