FIELD: radio engineering, communication.
SUBSTANCE: apparatus comprises a launcher in the form of a cylindrical container inside of which a reference reflector is placed. The effective radar cross-section reference used is a corner reflector with faces made of two flat radio-reflecting half-discs turned in a certain manner. The apparatus also has a cylindrical base on which the corner reflector is mounted in a V-shaped manner. The edge of the corner reflector lies on a line which coincides with the diameter of the base, and the bisector of the angle between the faces in a plane perpendicular to the middle of the edge of the corner reflector coincides with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical base. The longitudinal axis of the cylindrical base is coaxial to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical container. The apparatus also includes a mechanism for releasing and rotating the corner reflector, a main controller, a unit for interfacing the controller with the release and rotating mechanism. The input of the main controller is connected to a spacecraft or carrier rocket control system and the output of the main controller is connected to the interfacing unit, the output of the interfacing unit is connected to the release and rotating mechanism.
EFFECT: high efficiency of calibrating radar stations and broader functional capabilities.
20 cl, 11 dwg
