Навигационное сопровождение развертывания тросовой системы на примере эксперимента YES2 во время полета КА «Фотон-М3»

Abstract

Tether systems are a promising line of development of space technologies. They can be used for various purposes, including those for return of small payloads from low- Earth orbits as, for example, in experiment YES2 which was carried out by the European Space Agency on the space vehicle (SV) "Foton-M3" in September, 2007. The key element on which the success of tether system deployment depends is qualitative navigational tracking of an experiment. In the report the navigational tracking system of tether system deployment created at Samara State Aerospace University which was placed on the space vehicle "Foton-M3" is described. The navigational system consisted of two navigational antennas, a fixed-frequency two-system (GPS/ GLONASS) satellite radio navigation receiver and a magnetometer. The results of processing of the measurements received from the navigational tracking system during the YES2 experiment are discussed. These results made it possible both to estimate the SV "Foton-M3" motion during the YES2 experiment and to make indirect conclusions about real tether system deployment and tether cutting. This work was supported by grant of Russian Foundation for Basic Research (№ 09-08-00842-а).