METHOD TO CONTROL MOVEMENT OF SERVICE SPACECRAFT Russian patent published in 2020 - IPC B64G1/24 B64G1/26 

FIELD: astronautics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to control of service spacecraft (SSC) movement by jet engines of correction (EC) in operations on removal of space debris objects (SDO) from geostationary orbit. ECs are installed on transformable rods in the area of SDO gripping unit and on SSC end opposite to gripping unit. Tie rod of the latter passes through center of mass of SSC and opposite to rod of EC on rods. After the SDO is captured, the SSC successively imparts thrust pulses with those and other ECs (stabilizing the SDO and SSC bundle before each EC switching). Disturbance moments from EC are used to determine actual positions of the center of mass of the ligament in both cases. If the mutual deviation of both positions of the center of mass is allowed, the orbit of the ligament is corrected by those ECs, the combination and modes of operation of which provide the least deviation of the direction of the total thrust vector from the actual center of mass of the ligament.

EFFECT: reduced fuel consumption on board of SSC in operations for removal of SDO.

1 cl, 3 dwg