FIELD: radio engineering, communication.
SUBSTANCE: method includes launching a reflector with a known radar cross-section to the orbit of an artificial earth satellite, irradiating said reflector with radar signals, receiving and measuring amplitude of reflected signals, wherein an angle reflector is transported on-board a minisatellite as a radar cross-section reference to an orbit around the Earth, said angle reflector being made in form of two flat radar-reflecting pivotally connected faces, turned by a fixed angle α which ranges from (90-Δ)° to (90+Δ)°, where Δ is defined from the relationship: 0<Δ<18λ/a, λ is the wavelength of the calibrated radar station, a is the size of the face angle reflector. Before launching, the angle reflector is placed on the outer side of the end surface of the housing of the minisatellite. The middle of the edge of the angle reflector is arranged coaxial to the centre of the end surface, wherein the faces are oriented such that the bisector of the angle between the faces of the angle reflector in the plane perpendicular to the middle of the edge is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the minisatellite. During flight, GLONASS and/or GPS receivers and an on-board computer are used to determine the position of the centre of mass of the minisatellite relative to the position of the calibrated radar station, the spatial position of the longitudinal axis of the minisatellite relative to the line of sight of the radar station, and a minisatellite orientation system then performs alignment thereof so that the main lobe of the scattering pattern of the angle reflector is directed towards the calibrated radar station, and the maximum of the main lobe of the scattering pattern of the angle reflector coincides with the line of sight of the calibrated radar station. The angle reflector then turns about the bisector of the angle between its faces.
EFFECT: high accuracy of calibrating radar stations.
11 cl, 16 dwg
