Autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications
© 2020, Univelt Inc. All rights reserved. This work investigates the use of laser communication (lasercom) intersatellite links to obtain relative position measurements for autonomous navigation. Lasercom crosslinks have the potential to provide intersatellite range and bearing measurements in order...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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2021
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/137293 |
| _version_ | 1826193062781517824 |
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| author | Davé, PK Cahoy, K |
| author_facet | Davé, PK Cahoy, K |
| author_sort | Davé, PK |
| collection | MIT |
| description | © 2020, Univelt Inc. All rights reserved. This work investigates the use of laser communication (lasercom) intersatellite links to obtain relative position measurements for autonomous navigation. Lasercom crosslinks have the potential to provide intersatellite range and bearing measurements in order to accurately navigate satellites in a wide set of orbit cases, including GNSS-denied, GNSS-limited, and deep-space environments. Numerical simulations are used to compare the lasercom crosslink approach with traditional positioning and navigation methods in example application cases in low Earth-orbit (LEO), geostationary Earth-orbit (GEO), highly elliptical orbit (HEO), and a Mars-orbiting constellation. The use of lasercom measurements in Earth-orbit results in errors on the order of 2 meters in LEO, 10 meters in GEO, and 50 meters in HEO, which is on-par with current GNSS-based navigation errors. A constellation of Mars-orbiters using the proposed navigation method results in 10-meter position errors, which is on-par with current DSN-based navigation errors, when DSN operations are available, and better than propagated state knowledge during DSN data gaps. Use of intersatellite lasercom systems for orbit determination also decreases dependence on ground-based tracking and navigation systems, enabling greater autonomy in space missions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T09:33:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/137293 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T09:33:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1372932021-11-04T03:36:10Z Autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications Davé, PK Cahoy, K © 2020, Univelt Inc. All rights reserved. This work investigates the use of laser communication (lasercom) intersatellite links to obtain relative position measurements for autonomous navigation. Lasercom crosslinks have the potential to provide intersatellite range and bearing measurements in order to accurately navigate satellites in a wide set of orbit cases, including GNSS-denied, GNSS-limited, and deep-space environments. Numerical simulations are used to compare the lasercom crosslink approach with traditional positioning and navigation methods in example application cases in low Earth-orbit (LEO), geostationary Earth-orbit (GEO), highly elliptical orbit (HEO), and a Mars-orbiting constellation. The use of lasercom measurements in Earth-orbit results in errors on the order of 2 meters in LEO, 10 meters in GEO, and 50 meters in HEO, which is on-par with current GNSS-based navigation errors. A constellation of Mars-orbiters using the proposed navigation method results in 10-meter position errors, which is on-par with current DSN-based navigation errors, when DSN operations are available, and better than propagated state knowledge during DSN data gaps. Use of intersatellite lasercom systems for orbit determination also decreases dependence on ground-based tracking and navigation systems, enabling greater autonomy in space missions. 2021-11-03T18:24:38Z 2021-11-03T18:24:38Z 2020 2021-05-17T12:09:29Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/ConferencePaper https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/137293 Davé, PK and Cahoy, K. 2020. "Autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications." Advances in the Astronautical Sciences, 171. en http://www.univelt.com/book=7908 Advances in the Astronautical Sciences Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ application/pdf Prof. Cahoy via Barbara Williams |
| spellingShingle | Davé, PK Cahoy, K Autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications |
| title | Autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications |
| title_full | Autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications |
| title_fullStr | Autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications |
| title_short | Autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications |
| title_sort | autonomous satellite navigation using intersatellite laser communications |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/137293 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davepk autonomoussatellitenavigationusingintersatellitelasercommunications AT cahoyk autonomoussatellitenavigationusingintersatellitelasercommunications |