METHOD OF AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF TETHERING Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: space engineering; docking of cooperative space vehicles, for example, transport space vehicles with orbital stations. SUBSTANCE: method includes orientation and control of motion of center of mass of active space vehicle, orientation of passive space vehicle relative to preset coordinate system, determination of error angle of active or passive space vehicle relative to sight line. Orientation of active space vehicle relative to the same preset coordinate system as passive space vehicle; control of motion of center of mass of active space vehicle perpendicularly to sight line effected by angle of position of this line which is calculated as difference between error angle of active space vehicle or passive space vehicle relative to preset coordinate system and respective error angle of these space vehicles relative to sight line. Inertial or orbital coordinate system may be used as preset coordinate system. EFFECT: improved quality, reduced cost and mass of control units of space vehicle.