FIELD: astronautics.
SUBSTANCE: invention relates to space engineering. Method of determining the orientation of a spacecraft from signals of navigation satellites comprises steps of: include radiation of radio signals by navigation satellites with known orbit parameters; generating and outputting commands for receiving signals of selected navigation satellites on channels of a receiving device mounted on a spacecraft; selecting, by each channel of the receiving device from the total signal of all navigation satellites signals of satellites corresponding to issued commands; receiving said signals provided that corresponding satellites are in the field of view of one of the receivers of the receiving device; determining current coordinates of spacecraft based on received signals of navigation satellites; on the coordinates of the navigation satellites and coordinates of the spacecraft determining the single vectors of directions from the spacecraft to the navigation satellites; determining angles between found average directions on all navigation satellites; selecting a satellite for which said angles are minimum; command is received to receive signal of selected navigation satellite; orientation of the spacecraft in the Greenwich coordinate system is determined in accordance with a certain matrix.
EFFECT: higher accuracy of determining orientation of a spacecraft.
1 cl, 3 dwg
