Orientation of the Luna-26 Spacecraft by Onboard Algorithms at the Stage of Mapping the Lunar Surface

The orientation and stabilization system of lunar remote sensing spacecraft differs from the systems onboard spacecraft designed for surveying the Earth’s surface. This is due to the features of the Moon’s gravitational potential, the absence of satellite navigation systems in its orbit, and the capabilities for determining spacecraft’s orbital parameters using ground-based radio instruments. The main theoretical results are presented for a range of orientation program options for lunar remote sensing spacecraft. The results include accuracy estimates for different time intervals, which consider the experience of predicting the orbit determination errors of ground-based measuring instruments.