METHOD OF DETERMINING THREE-AXIS SPATIAL ORIENTATION OF A SPACECRAFT Russian patent published in 2019 - IPC G01C21/12 

FIELD: measuring equipment.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to measurement equipment and can be used for high-accuracy determination of spatial orientation of coordinate axes of spacecraft (SC) in the inertial reference system associated with the Earth. Retro-reflector systems (RS), mounted on SC and consisting of angled reflectors (AR) are combined into a retro-reflector complex (RC) comprising three RS. Reflecting power is varied AR second and third RS for left and right circular conditions of laser radiation polarization by means of installation of two optical elements on input edges AR: quarter-wave phase plate and polariser. Further, generation and sending a series of laser pulses from a quantum-optical station (QOS) in direction RS, installed on SC and consisting of AR. Pulse of a series of laser pulses is performed in turn with right and left circular polarization of the radiation. Then reflected signals are recorded and range is calculated. Based on results of calculating distances from reference point QOS to basic points of RS range difference between RS is calculated.

EFFECT: possibility of using the method during emergency operating conditions SC.

1 cl, 5 dwg