Designing a Star Tracker for Astronaut Don Pettit to Use on the ISS

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A mechanical device with gears is shown on the left. An arrow points from it to a vibrant, blurred image of space, Earth, and a distant galaxy on the right, suggesting a connection between the device and space exploration.

In the spring of 2023, I received a phone call from Peter Blackberg (an old friend, RIT alumnus, and a space enthusiast) when he asked if I would join a call with NASA astronaut Don Pettit. Don wanted to build a star tracker for his next space flight.  

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