Lunar Network Tracking Architecture for Lunar Flight

• Main Authors: Robinson, Shane B., Geller, David
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@USU 2010
• Subjects: South Pole; South pole
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/spacegrant/2010/Session1/3; https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1083&context=spacegrant

A trade study was conducted with the objective of comparing and contrasting the radiometric navigation performance provided by various architectures of lunar-based navigations assets. Architectures considered consist of a compliment of two beacons located on the lunar surface, and two orbiting beacons that provide range and range-rate measurements to the user. Configurations of these assets include both coplanar and linked constellations of frozen elliptic orbiters and halo orbiters. Each architecture was studied during the lunar-approach, lunar-orbit, and landing phases of a South Pole lunar sortie mission. Navigation filter performance was evaluated on the basis of filter convergence latency, and the steady state uncertainty in the navigation solution. The sensitivity of the filter solution to Earth-based tracking augmentation and availability of range measurements was also studied. Filter performance was examined during the build up of the lunar-based navigation system by exploring different combinations of orbiting and surface-based assets.