Visible reflection characteristics of an on-orbit satellite were studied based on background radiation, surface material properties, orbit parameters, and the relative motion between satellite body and solar array. The Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Functions (BRDF) of three common surface materials of satellite at typical angles were measured. An improved Sun BRDF model of three materials was established. The method for calculating the incident vector in the coordinate system of solar array with a single degree of freedom rotation was proposed. The satellite reflection characteristics were simulated by its given physical dimension and surface physical parameters. The peak radiant intensities reflected by the satellite bodies which were coated by yellow thermal control coating or silver thermal control coating and the solar array were 6.91×104 W/sr, 6.42×104 W/sr and 9 707 W/sr, respectively. These peaks were in different space positions. The result shows that the reflection characteristics of satellite are affected by surface materials, physical dimension, attitude, orbital parameters and so on, as well as the solar array cannot be neglected when the satellite characteristics are analyzed.