Automatic vision-based monitoring of a spacecraft docking to the orbital station

The software package is described which intended for the automatic visual monitoring of a spacecraft Progress docking to International Space Station. Initial information for the software is a video signal received from the TV-camera, mounted on the spacecraft board. An obtained sequence of frames is processed in real time. In each frame, the software finds out the details of the special target and determines geometric parameters of their mutual arrangement. Values of those parameters are used as primary measurements for determining the spacecraft motion relative to the station. The examples are given for processing the real video data obtained during the spacecraft Progress docking to International Space Station. The accuracy of the estimation of the motion and perspectives of the use of the software are discussed.