METHOD OF MAPPING THE CELESTIAL SPHERE AND SPACECRAFT FOR ITS REALIZATION Russian patent published in 1994 - IPC

FIELD: space engineering. SUBSTANCE: method of mapping includes the survey of the celestial sphere from aboard spacecraft 3 by way of scanning ring zones 10 by astronomical telescope with two observation tubes 4,5. One observation tube 4 is oriented on reference star 8. Spacecraft 3 is rotated relative to this direction till they penetrate into the field of vision of the other observation tube 5 of measured star 9, star pictures are stabilized on the focal plane, linear distances between their projections are measured and the angle between reference 8 and measured 9 stars is determined, the star pictures are stabilized on the focal plane, the linear distances between their projections are measured and the angle between reference 8 and measured 9 stars is determined. Then the rotation of the spacecraft relative to the reference point is resumed and the angles between reference star 9 and other measured stars are determined. Then they proceed to the scan of the next ring zone 10 by means of reorientation of spacecraft 3 on another reference star 9. Spacecraft 3 for mapping the celestial sphere contains hard-mounted on its housing astrometrical telescope with two observation tubes 4,5 located at the angle of 85-95 degrees to each other and optically conjugated through two flat hard-mounted mirrors with an objective made according to Cassegrain diagram. A flat mirror is mounted on the objective optical axis. A flat mirror operable by a unit of picture precision stabilization is mounted at an angle to the objective axis. The unit input is connected to a photodetector made in the form of matrix of charge-coupled devices. Solar-cell panels and the radiator-cooler of the thermal-regulation system are located on different sides of spacecraft 3 parallel to its longitudinal axis and to each other. The radiator-cooler is fastened to the spacecraft housing from the side of reference observation tube 4. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency and output of astronomical measurements from the cosmos under the conditions of mass-power limitations. 3 cl, 3 dwg