1. The memory that holds

The Quantum Thief asks what it means to be the same person when your memories can be edited. An ADCS test asks what it means for the platform to know where it is pointing when every sensor has its own version of the truth. Success is when the system consistently picks the right version.

2. Clear successes

  • Sensor accuracy and noise meet specification across temperature.
  • Star tracker acquires and holds under expected stray-light conditions.
  • Each pointing mode meets its pointing-error budget.
  • Slews complete within time and power budgets with acceptable overshoot.
  • Disturbance torques are rejected within the specified settling time.
  • Momentum dumping keeps wheels within their operational range.
  • Sensor faults are detected and the filter recovers without manual intervention.
  • Safe mode reliably sun-acquires and keeps the platform power-positive.

3. Clear failures

  • A sensor reports attitude with errors larger than the budget and the fault is not detected.
  • The platform cannot acquire attitude from a lost-in-space condition within the required time.
  • A pointing mode causes wheel saturation under nominal disturbances.
  • A slew leaves the platform oscillating or settles outside the pointing tolerance.
  • Safe mode does not sun-acquire or enters a limit cycle.
  • A propulsion burn causes an unrecoverable attitude excursion.

4. The gray zone

  • Pointing error is within spec but consumes more power than predicted.
  • Safe mode works but takes longer than desired to acquire the sun.
  • Sensor fusion recovers from faults but with a temporary degradation in accuracy.

These are not automatic passes. They must be explained and either accepted with margin or redesigned. The ADCS is too central to the mission to treat gray results as good enough.

5. What success really looks like

Success is a team that can say, with test data, that the platform will know where it is pointing during normal operations, during foreseeable faults, and during recovery. If the campaign produces that statement, the desktop can be trusted to aim itself.