LINEAR AND ANGULAR MEASUREMENTS ERRORS IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE ANGULAR POSITION OF SPACECRAFT BY LASER RANGING

摘要

Angular measurements by laser ranging of spacecraft are modelled taking the effect of the earth's rotation into account. It is found that the earth's rotation leads to the appearance of an angle between the direction of the axis of the laser station telescope at the time a light pulse is emitted and the direction of the actual position of a spacecraft at the time this light is reflected from it.