ABSTRACTS OF ARTICLES OF THE JOURNAL "INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES".
No. 9. Vol. 24. 2018

DOI: 10.17587/it.24.573-581

I. P. Denisova, D. Sc., Professor, e-mail: kaf.pmitet.mai@yandex.ru, Yu. A. Kostikov, Ph. D., Professor, e-mail: kaf.pmitet.mai@yandex.ru, M. V. Lebedeva, Senior Lecturer, e-mail: kaf.pmitet.mai@yandex.ru, M. A. Pasisnichenko, Assistant, e-mail: kaf.pmitet.mai@yandex.ru Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University),

Mathematical, Algorithmic and Software Support for a Spacecraft Laser-Ranging System Using a Movable Telescope

A mathematical model of the laser-ranging of the circular orbiting spacecraft was developed using a laser station located on the surface of the rotating Earth. This model is based on the equations of motion of light pulses in a non-inertial rotating reference frame, deriving from the equations of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.
Numerical calculations and laser ranging practice have shown that the centers of the spots formed by the reflected from the spacecraft retroreflector light pulses, move across the Earth surface. During a single location's session, their distance from the laser station varies from several hundred meters to a dozen meters. Therefore, the receiving telescope of the laser station is located on the periphery of the spot.
The intensity of the reflected light pulse decreases in its cross-section with the distance from the center to the periphery. Therefore, only a small part of the flow of the light energy of the reflected pulse reaches the receiving telescope. The speed of the spots' centers movement on the Earth surface is not more than ten miles per hour.
In the paper a new method of carrying out laser ranging was proposed, when the receiving telescope separated from the laser station by a special device follows the centers of the spots formed by the light pulses reflected from the spacecraft.
The aim of this work is the development of an algorithm and software that are essential for the new method of carrying out spacecraft laser ranging. A set of programs designed to implement the method is described. A computational experiment aimed at the study of evaluation of effectiveness of the proposed method on high-orbital as well as low-orbital spacecrafts ranging was accomplished. This experiment has shown good results. Therefore, this new laser ranging approach can be recommended as a possible basis for creation of the next generation intelligent laser stations.
Keywords: mathematical model of laser location, a retroreflector, an algorithm, a database, The GLONASS System, the decision-making

P. 573–581

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