memory device further the operating system 272 and the computer program are comprised of instructions which when read and executed by the scp 202 causes the spacecraft processor 202 to perform the steps necessary to implement and or use the present invention computer program and or operating instructions may also be tangibly embodied in memory 270 and or data communications devices e g other devices in the spacecraft 100 or on the ground thereby making a computer program product or article of manufacture according to the invention as such the terms u201c program storage device u201d u201c article of manufacture u201d and u201c computer program product u201d as used herein are intended to encompass a computer program accessible from any computer readable device or media fig3 is a diagram depicting the architecture of a multi payload attitude determination system mpads 300 in the mpads 300 one or more attitude sensors are used with payloads where attitude knowledge of the payload is required this may be the case for example with payloads having high pointing accuracy requirements and that are subject to significant thermal deformation as well such attitude sensors can include for example star trackers sun sensors earth sensors beacon sensors or a 3 axis gyro a spacecraft 100 may have several of these payloads and any one of these payloads can be designated as a master payload which is chosen.