The invention discloses an optical imaging minisatellite attitude control system and an in-orbit working mode switching method, belongs to the field of satellite attitude control and aims at solving the problem that existing optical imaging satellites cannot be simply and effectively switched in the orbit. The optical imaging minisatellite attitude control system comprises an attitude measurement sensor, an actuating mechanism and an attitude controller, wherein the attitude measurement sensor comprises a sun sensor, a star sensor and a gyroscope; the actuating mechanism comprises a counteraction flywheel and a magnetorquer. According to an in-orbit working mode switching method of the optical imaging minisatellite attitude control system, the optical imaging minisatellite attitude control system has six working modes, namely a rate damping mode, a sun capture mode, a sun-orientated three-axis stabilization mode, an earth-orientated three-axis stabilization mode, a data transmission mode and a safety mode. The optical imaging minisatellite attitude control system and the in-orbit working mode switching method are suitable for all the optical imaging minisatellites.