Importance

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Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for autonomous navigation of a host satellite equipped with moving and orienting means, a unit for controlling these means, and at least one on-board image-acquisition camera, said method comprising the following steps: acquiring (E1) a plurality of images; default processing of said images, referred to as long-range processing (E2), configured to detect and identify space objects and to calculate their relative orbits; conditional processing of said acquired images, referred to as short-range processing (E3), configured to estimate the attitude of at least one of said space objects, referred to as target object, detected during the long-range processing, this step being implemented when said long-range step detects at least one space object located at a distance estimated to be less than a predetermined threshold distance; determining (E4) a possible rendezvous between at least said target object and the host satellite; preparing and transmitting instructions (E5) to said control unit of said moving means based on at least one rendezvous and/or risk of collision determined in the previous step.

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First Claim