Mathematical modeling of angular distortions in laser ranging of the RadioAstron satellite

A mathematical model for angular distortions in satellite laser ranging is constructed with allowance for effects of the theory of general relativity. For the RadioAstron mission satellite, it is shown that the angular distortions exceed the present-day accuracy of angular measurements in satellite laser ranging at all orbit points. Manifested most strikingly in the neighborhood of apogee, these distortions have to be taken into account in data processing performed within the framework of high-accuracy space exploration programs.