Mothership-Cubesat Radioscience for Phobos Geodesy and Autonomous Navigation
The knowledge of the interior structure (e.g., homogeneous, porous, or fractured) of Martian moons will lead to a better understanding of their formation as well as the early solar system. One approach to inferring the interior structure is via geodetic characteristics, such as gravity field and lib...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/7/1619 |
| _version_ | 1797437864827420672 |
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| author | Hongru Chen Nicolas Rambaux Valéry Lainey Daniel Hestroffer |
| author_facet | Hongru Chen Nicolas Rambaux Valéry Lainey Daniel Hestroffer |
| author_sort | Hongru Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The knowledge of the interior structure (e.g., homogeneous, porous, or fractured) of Martian moons will lead to a better understanding of their formation as well as the early solar system. One approach to inferring the interior structure is via geodetic characteristics, such as gravity field and libration. Geodetic parameters can be derived from radiometric tracking measurements. A feasible mothership-CubeSat mission is proposed in this study with following purposes, (1) performing inter-sat Doppler measurements, (2) improving the understanding of Phobos as well as the dynamic model, (3) securing the mothership as well as the primary mission, and (4) supporting autonomous navigation, given the long distance between the Earth and Mars. This study analyzes budgets of volume, mass, power, deployment <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo>Δ</mo><mi>v</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, and link, and the Doppler measurement noise of the system, and gives a feasible design for the CubeSat. The accuracy of orbit determination and geodesy is revealed via the Monte-Carlo simulation of estimation considering all uncertainties. Under an ephemeris error of the Mars-Phobos system ranging from 0 to 2 km, the autonomous orbit determination delivers an accuracy ranging from 0.2 m to 21 m and 0.05 mm/s to 0.4 cm/s. The geodesy can return 2nd-degree gravity coefficients at an accuracy of 1‰, even in the presence of an ephemeris error of 2 km. The achieved covariance of gravity coefficients and libration amplitude indicates an excellent possibility to distinguish families of interior structures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:28:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c1c43aef1d1d467292e72867cc2dd8d3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:28:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-c1c43aef1d1d467292e72867cc2dd8d32023-11-30T23:56:35ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922022-03-01147161910.3390/rs14071619Mothership-Cubesat Radioscience for Phobos Geodesy and Autonomous NavigationHongru Chen0Nicolas Rambaux1Valéry Lainey2Daniel Hestroffer3Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, JapanIMCCE, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université PSL, 77 Av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, FranceIMCCE, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université PSL, 77 Av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, FranceIMCCE, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Université PSL, 77 Av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, FranceThe knowledge of the interior structure (e.g., homogeneous, porous, or fractured) of Martian moons will lead to a better understanding of their formation as well as the early solar system. One approach to inferring the interior structure is via geodetic characteristics, such as gravity field and libration. Geodetic parameters can be derived from radiometric tracking measurements. A feasible mothership-CubeSat mission is proposed in this study with following purposes, (1) performing inter-sat Doppler measurements, (2) improving the understanding of Phobos as well as the dynamic model, (3) securing the mothership as well as the primary mission, and (4) supporting autonomous navigation, given the long distance between the Earth and Mars. This study analyzes budgets of volume, mass, power, deployment <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mo>Δ</mo><mi>v</mi></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>, and link, and the Doppler measurement noise of the system, and gives a feasible design for the CubeSat. The accuracy of orbit determination and geodesy is revealed via the Monte-Carlo simulation of estimation considering all uncertainties. Under an ephemeris error of the Mars-Phobos system ranging from 0 to 2 km, the autonomous orbit determination delivers an accuracy ranging from 0.2 m to 21 m and 0.05 mm/s to 0.4 cm/s. The geodesy can return 2nd-degree gravity coefficients at an accuracy of 1‰, even in the presence of an ephemeris error of 2 km. The achieved covariance of gravity coefficients and libration amplitude indicates an excellent possibility to distinguish families of interior structures.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/7/1619orbit determinationautonomous navigationplanetary geodesyradioscienceCubeSatsPhobos |
| spellingShingle | Hongru Chen Nicolas Rambaux Valéry Lainey Daniel Hestroffer Mothership-Cubesat Radioscience for Phobos Geodesy and Autonomous Navigation Remote Sensing orbit determination autonomous navigation planetary geodesy radioscience CubeSats Phobos |
| title | Mothership-Cubesat Radioscience for Phobos Geodesy and Autonomous Navigation |
| title_full | Mothership-Cubesat Radioscience for Phobos Geodesy and Autonomous Navigation |
| title_fullStr | Mothership-Cubesat Radioscience for Phobos Geodesy and Autonomous Navigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mothership-Cubesat Radioscience for Phobos Geodesy and Autonomous Navigation |
| title_short | Mothership-Cubesat Radioscience for Phobos Geodesy and Autonomous Navigation |
| title_sort | mothership cubesat radioscience for phobos geodesy and autonomous navigation |
| topic | orbit determination autonomous navigation planetary geodesy radioscience CubeSats Phobos |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/7/1619 |
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