To improve the real-time performance and positioning accuracy of space object surveillance using an optoelectronic telescope, a fast recognition and precise orientation system for space objects was established. The algorithms for the motion characteristics, fast recognition, star centroid computing, and the astronomical orientation of space objects were investigated. The system constitution and working principle of the opto-electric observing system for space objects were introduced, the motion characteristics of space objects in a visible field of the CCD chip were analyzed and a fast recognition algorithm was presented firstly. Then the fast recognition for space objects was implemented by using the frame subtraction and the mathematical morphology. Finally, the astronomical orientation method was investigated and the precise orientation of space objects was realized in the usage of Tycho-2 catalogue. Experimental results indicate that the average processing time of fast recognition and real-time astronomical orientation for space objects is respectively 10 ms and 25 ms, and the precision of real-time astronomical orientation is less than 4″. It concludes that the results obtained satisfy the requirements of space object surveillance for high real-time, high precision, good stability and reliability.