What is it about?
This paper delves into various lunar constellations, specifically exploring both three-body and four-body systems for position, navigation, and timing (PNT) implementation at strategic locations, including the lunar South Pole, the entire lunar surface, and within the Earth-Moon Corridor. A comprehensive trade space analysis is conducted, considering factors such as visibility coverage, power requirements, dilution of precision, and orbital stability. The goal is to identify the most optimal PNT system configuration that aligns with the unique challenges and requirements of lunar exploration missions.
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Why is it important?
As humanity embarks on new missions for human exploration on the Moon, the integration of advanced technologies becomes crucial for operations on and around Earth's natural satellite. A pivotal aspect of this integration involves the establishment of a robust position, navigation, and timing (PNT) system. PNT is required to perform missions on the lunar surface for astronaut location services, search and rescue missions, rover transit, satellite tracking, telerobotic operations, real time localization on a map, accurate science, and maximizing survivability resources by minimizing navigation calibration.
Perspectives
Crafting this paper has marked a continuous journey in my research career. The complexity of the problem at hand ensures that numerous answers exist, perpetuating the ongoing nature of this research. My aspiration is that individuals recognize the imperative nature of this work in the context of lunar exploration, acknowledging its significance in advancing our understanding and capabilities in this field.
Kaitlin Roberts
Air Force Institute of Technology
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Preliminary Analysis of Desirable Cislunar Orbits for Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) at the Lunar South Pole, Surface, and Earth-Moon Corridor, January 2024, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA),
DOI: 10.2514/6.2024-0623.
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