METHOD OF ADAPTIVE CONTROL OVER DISPLACEMENT OF CENTRE OF GRAVITY OF SPACECRAFT Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC B64G1/10 B64G1/24 

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to control over flight of the group of spacecraft and may be used for tracking one spacecraft by another spacecraft at preset distance. Proposed method comprises measuring trajectories and making corrections, minimizing orbit eccentricity and defining position of subject spacecraft in inertial space. Note here that control and navigation system is provided with set of transceiving radio hardware and optical transducer of angles "Pole Star - subject spacecraft - object spacecraft". Distance to object spacecraft is measured to define is deviation from mean magnitude at measurement steps. At termination of every cycle of measurement steps, dynamics of variation of said mean magnitude is revealed to define increment of oscillation period of subject spacecraft relative to similar period of object spacecraft. In one orbital period, angle between planes of orbits of object spacecraft and subject spacecraft are defined as well as time of crossing of said planes by readings of angle transducer. In case said increment exceeds preset threshold, parameters of correction of said period are computed. At estimated time of orbit crossing, correction engines are initiated giving preference to engine of orbit inclination correction engine.

EFFECT: higher accuracy of tracking, lower poser consumption of spacecraft correction system.

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