Could the Sun burn an image sensor of a star tracker in space?

[DhruvSorathiya]

Hello,
I have a question. If a star tracker in space faces the sun directly then could it be possible that the sun completely burns the image sensor? To be specific we are a student satellite team (Student satellite program IIT Bombay) developing a star tracker and we don't have an exact idea about the situation if the star tracker faces the sun directly. Could anyone please share their thoughts and knowledge? It would be extremely helpful to us. Thank you.

 

[phyzguy]

Typically yes, the sun will damage an image sensor. If you have a large lens or mirror focusing the light onto the sensor, then the concentrated sun's heat can overheat or even melt the sensor. Even if it is not damaged by the heat, the high light intensity can damage the sensor, but how much damage depends on the details of the sensor and optical system. It's probably best to design your system so that it never points at the sun. Even the moon can be bright enough to damage some sensors.

 

[DhruvSorathiya]

Alright, Thank you.

 

[Drakkith]

@DhruvSorathiya if you are serious about designing satellite sensors, please consult an optical engineer or other such specialist. An ambiguous answer from an internet forum (no offense to phyzguy) is not what you want to base your design off of.