SCOR Practitioner — Session 7: Guidance Modes Exercise

MODULE 7

GUIDANCE MODES EXERCISE

Non-Kinetic Physical Exposure Domain

Navigate spacecraft pointing modes and respond to horizon sensor dazzling

60 Minutes | 10 min instruction + 40 min simulation + 10 min break

MODULE 7 — GUIDANCE MODES EXERCISESCORP²

LABS Learning Objectives

Learn, Apply, Build, Simulate

LABS Component	Type	Statement
(L)EARN	Knowledge	Knowledge of spacecraft ADCS pointing modes and the role of star trackers, magnetometers, sun sensors, gyroscopes, and GPS receivers in attitude determination.
(L)EARN	Knowledge	Knowledge of how a ground-based directed energy source can dazzle a nadir-pointing horizon sensor during a low-altitude pass, corrupting the attitude solution.
(A)PPLY	Skill	Skill in commanding and validating spacecraft attitude transitions between pointing modes using onboard sensor feedback.
(A)PPLY	Skill	Skill in detecting ADCS degradation caused by horizon sensor dazzling and switching to gyroscope and sun sensor configuration.
(B)UILD	Ability	Ability to determine whether an attitude anomaly originates from a hardware fault, environmental condition, or deliberate directed energy attack.
(S)IMULATE	Task	Detect horizon sensor dazzling caused by a ground-based directed energy source, transition to alternate sensors, slew the spacecraft to protect the sensor aperture, and restore pointing accuracy within the 40-minute exercise window.

SCORP² Practitioner | eHs®TLP-GREEN

MODULE 7 — GUIDANCE MODES EXERCISESCORP²

Exercise Scenario Briefing

Students operate the same 3-satellite LEO constellation from Module 6, now equipped with a multi-mode Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS). This exercise focuses on the Non-Kinetic Physical exposure domain through a horizon sensor dazzling event during a low-altitude pass over hostile territory. Students must navigate spacecraft pointing modes and respond to sensor degradation caused by a ground-based directed energy source.

ADCS CONFIGURATION

Star trackers (primary attitude reference)
Horizon sensors (nadir-pointing Earth reference)
Sun sensors, magnetometers, gyroscopes
Multiple pointing modes: Earth-pointing, sun-safe, slew

EXERCISE STRUCTURE

Phase 1: Nominal mode transitions (~15 min)
Phase 2: Horizon sensor dazzling response (~25 min)
Instructor guidance available throughout
Builds on Module 6 baseline skills

Understanding each sensor’s role in the attitude solution is essential before you can diagnose which sensor is being attacked.

SCORP² Practitioner | eHs®TLP-GREEN

MODULE 7 — GUIDANCE MODES EXERCISESCORP²

Phase 1: Nominal Mode Transitions

Establishing What Normal Looks Like (~15 min)

Students command attitude changes and validate sensor feedback from star trackers, magnetometers, sun sensors, and gyroscopes. First-time operators are walked through each sensor’s role in the attitude determination solution. Students practice transitioning between pointing modes and confirming stable attitude before any threat is introduced.

STAR TRACKERS

Primary attitude reference. Identify star patterns for precise pointing. Vulnerable to bright light sources and stray light contamination.

HORIZON SENSORS

Nadir-pointing Earth reference. Detect Earth’s limb for orbit-relative attitude. Vulnerable to ground-based dazzling during low-altitude passes.

GYROSCOPES & SUN SENSORS

Backup attitude sensors. Gyroscopes measure rotation rates. Sun sensors provide coarse attitude reference. Used when primary sensors are degraded.

SENSOR AWARENESS

Each sensor has different vulnerabilities. Knowing which sensor drives your attitude solution tells you what an adversary would target.

SCORP² Practitioner | eHs®TLP-GREEN

MODULE 7 — GUIDANCE MODES EXERCISESCORP²

Phase 2: Horizon Sensor Dazzling During Low-Altitude Pass

Non-Kinetic Physical Exposure Domain

A ground-based laser dazzles the nadir-pointing horizon sensor during a low-altitude pass, corrupting the attitude solution and causing pointing drift. Students must identify this as a Non-Kinetic Physical attack, transition to gyroscope and sun sensor inputs, and temporarily slew the spacecraft to point the horizon sensor aperture away from the threat ground track.

THREAT INDICATORS

Horizon sensor output shows sudden saturation
Attitude solution diverges from star tracker reference
Pointing drift begins correlating with ground track over known threat area
Anomaly onset coincides with low-altitude pass geometry

RESPONSE SEQUENCE

Identify horizon sensor as the degraded input
Switch attitude solution to gyroscope + sun sensor
Command spacecraft slew to protect sensor aperture
Restore nominal pointing after pass completes

NON-KINETIC PHYSICAL

Directed energy attacks degrade without destroying. The satellite survives, but the mission is compromised until the operator intervenes.

SCORP² Practitioner | eHs®TLP-GREEN

MODULE 7 — GUIDANCE MODES EXERCISESCORP²

Instructor Guidance Notes

This exercise builds on Module 6 skills. Instructors should:

Ensure students understand each sensor’s role before introducing the threat
Walk operators through mode transition commands and confirmation procedures
Explain the difference between hardware fault, environmental, and attack signatures
Guide students through the slew command to protect the sensor aperture
Help students correlate the anomaly onset with orbital geometry and ground track

The key teaching moment: dazzling looks similar to a sensor hardware fault. The correlation with ground track geometry is what reveals the attack.

SCORP² Practitioner | eHs®TLP-GREEN

MODULE 7 — GUIDANCE MODES EXERCISESCORP²

Feedback Requested from Zendir

The following questions will help finalize this exercise design. We welcome any additional recommendations.

Does your platform support multi-mode ADCS simulation with switchable sensor inputs?
Can horizon sensor dazzling be simulated with gradual onset to allow detection before full saturation?
How do you recommend presenting sensor health metrics so new operators can distinguish normal variation from attack indicators?
Can spacecraft slew commands be visualized to show aperture orientation relative to ground track?
What pointing accuracy metrics can students monitor during the exercise?

COLLABORATION

Scenario design is open for Zendir’s input. We want exercises that work well on your platform.

SCORP² Practitioner | eHs®TLP-GREEN

MODULE 7 — GUIDANCE MODES EXERCISESCORP²

Exposure Domain Reference: Non-Kinetic Physical

From SCORP² Cookbook Volume 0, Section 1A.1

Non-Kinetic Physical threats use directed energy or electromagnetic effects to degrade, disrupt, or deny platform capabilities without physical destruction. In the space domain: ground-based lasers that dazzle or blind optical sensors, high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons that disrupt electronics, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects, and persistent radiation environments that degrade components over time. Attribution is difficult because the effects may be temporary and leave no physical evidence of attack.

Key challenge: Non-Kinetic Physical attacks occupy a gray zone between natural environmental effects and deliberate hostile action. Correlation with orbital geometry and adversary ground infrastructure is often the only path to attribution.

SCORP² Practitioner | eHs®TLP-GREEN

MODULE 7 — GUIDANCE MODES EXERCISESCORP²

Exercise Summary

Phase	Duration	Focus	Domain
Phase 1	~15 min	Nominal ADCS mode transitions and sensor familiarization	Baseline
Phase 2	~25 min	Horizon sensor dazzling detection and response	Non-Kinetic Physical

Students completing this exercise will have practiced spacecraft attitude management and responded to a directed energy attack on an optical sensor. This foundation prepares them for the Cyber domain in Module 8.

SCORP² Practitioner | eHs®TLP-GREEN

✓

Module 7 Complete

Practiced multi-mode ADCS transitions and sensor familiarization
Detected and responded to a Non-Kinetic Physical threat: horizon sensor dazzling
Second exposure domain mastered — progressive complexity continues

Next: Module 8 — Payload Operations Exercise (Cyber Domain)