AUTONOMOUS NAVIGATION AND ATTITUDE CONTROL OF SPACECRAFTS   ON NEAR-EARTH CIRCULAR ORBITS

Andronov Vladimir Germanovitch; Emelyanov Sergey Gennadievitch

doi:10.5937/jaes16-16479

Andronov Vladimir Germanovitch Southwest State University, Kursk, Russia
Emelyanov Sergey Gennadievitch Southwest State University, Kursk, Russia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5937/jaes16-16479

Keywords: Star tracker, Autonomous navigation of spacecrafts,

Abstract

The paper reviews existing methods of spacecraft navigation and attitude control on near-earth orbits, including the methods utilizing earth-based external trajectory measurement stations, global navigation satellite systems, inertial on-board navigation systems and star trackers. The proposed method is based on the obtaining and processing of a set of sky images on-board of a spacecraft that is moving along a near-earth circular orbit. Image processing results are used to find the coordinates, velocity and attitude of a space craft in inertial space.