METHOD FOR LOCATION OF SPACE VEHICLES Russian patent published in 2006 - IPC G01S5/02 B64G1/24 

FIELD: cosmonautics, applicable in space activity - space exploration, exploration of the solar system, observation of the Earth from the space, at which it is necessary to determine the space co-ordinates of the space vehicles and the components of their flight velocity vectors.

SUBSTANCE: the method consists in the fact that in the intermediate orbit simultaneously with determination of the co-ordinates of the space vehicle (SV) at initial time moment t₀ by signals of the Global Satellite Navigation Systems the determination and detection of radiations at least of three pulsars is carried out, and then in the process of further motion of the space vehicle determination of the increment of full phase ΔФ_p=Δϕ_p+2·π·N_p of periodic radiation of each pulsar is effected, the measurement of the signal phase of pulsar Δϕ_p is determined relative to the phase of the high-stability frequency standard of the space vehicle, and the resolution of phase ambiguity N_p is effected by count of sudden changes by 2·π of the measured phase during flight of the space vehicle - Δt=t-t₀; according to the performed measurements determined are the distances covered by the space vehicle during time Δt in the direction to each pulsar and the position of the space vehicle in the Cartesian coordinate system for the case when the number of pulsars equals three is determined from expression where D_p - the distance that is covered by the space vehicle in the direction to the p-th pulsar; Δt - the value of the difference of the phases between the signal of the p-th pulsar and the frequency standard of the space vehicle, measured at moment T_p - quantity of full periods of variation of the signal phase of the p-th pulsar during time Δϕ_p; N_p - column vector of the position of the space vehicle at moment Δt; - column vector of the space vehicle position at initial moment t₀; -column vector of estimates of space vehicle motions in the direction cosines determining the angular position of three pulsars.

EFFECT: provided high-accuracy determination of the space vehicle position practically at any distance from the Earth.

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