METHOD FOR AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION AND ORIENTATION OF SPACECRAFT BASED ON VIRTUAL MEASUREMENTS OF ZENITH DISTANCES OF STARS

摘要

FIELD: physics. ^ SUBSTANCE: position of spacecraft in three-dimensional space, the unitary radius-vector and other elements of the reference (calculated, a priori assumed) orbit of the spacecraft are determined based on use of information coming from optoelectron devices mounted on the body of the spacecraft. The minimum number of required optoelectron devices is three, and two of them are placed in gimbals for optimum viewing of selected brightest stars of the celestial sphere. One optoelectron device is rigidly connected to the body of the spacecraft and measures coordinates and brightness of stars falling in the field of vision during navigation sessions and identifies the brightest (working) star. ^ EFFECT: broader functional capabilities. ^ 2 dwg