Guidance and Navigation Design Trades for the Lunar Pallet Lander
No abstract available
Anzalone, Evan↗
Engineering topics
Braden, Ellen
Publications and source records attributed to Braden, Ellen.
Guidance, Navigation, and Control for NASA Lunar Pallet Lander
The NASA Lander Technology project is leading the development and integration of the Lunar Pallet Lander (LPL) concept. The objective is to demonstrate precision landing by delivering a payload to the lunar surface within 100 meters of a landing target. Potential landing sites are selected near the lunar pole where water may be present in permanently shadowed regions that could enable future in-situ resource utilization. The LPL is part of a sequence of missions aimed at maturing the necessary technologies, such as lunar precision landing sensors, that will enable the next generation of multi-ton lunar payloads and human landers. This paper provides an overview of the Mission Design, Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) algorithms, and sensor suite. The results show the LPL simulated trajectory and landing precision performance under nominal and dispersed conditions. The landing precision simulation confirms the need to rely on high-accuracy navigation techniques and sensors such as Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) and the Navigation Doppler Lidar (NDL), currently being developed for space applications. The results also demonstrate the ability of the guidance and control system to perform a soft lunar touchdown by combining thrust vector control during the solid rocket motor deceleration phase, and pulse engine control, for the liquid powered descent phase.
Orphee, Juan↗
Guidance and Navigation Design Trades for the Lunar Pallet Lander
This paper provides an overview of a series of design trades in support of the NASA Lunar Pallet Lander (LPL) project. The vehicle is being designed to enable a high mass landing capability on the Lunar surface with a high precision. In order to provide clear requirements definition and preliminary design, the Guidance and Navigation Teams are assessing areas such as algorithm development, sensor architectures, and system-level sensitivities. These trades are enabled by the de-tailed six degree of freedom analysis tools. This mature simulation with the capability for closed- and open-loop simulation modes allows for high fidelity modeling and understanding of the system under design. The results show the feasibility and performance of the current vehicle to meet high accuracy landing requirements.
Anzaline, Evan↗
Linear Covariance Analysis for a Lunar Lander
A next-generation lunar lander Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) system, which includes a state-of-the-art optical sensor suite, is proposed in a concept design cycle. The design goal is to allow the lander to softly land within the prescribed landing precision. The achievement of this precision landing requirement depends on proper selection of the sensor suite. In this paper, a robust sensor selection procedure is demonstrated using a Linear Covariance (LinCov) analysis tool developed by Draper.
Jang, Jiann-Woei↗
Rapid Mars transits with exhaust-modulated plasma propulsion
The operational characteristics of the Exhaust-Modulated Plasma Rocket are described. Four basic human and robotic mission scenarios to Mars are analyzed using numerical optimization techniques at variable specific impulse and constant power. The device is well suited for 'split-sprint' missions, allowing fast, one-way low-payload human transits of 90 to 104 days, as well as slower, 180-day, high-payload robotic precursor flights. Abort capabilities, essential for human missions, are also explored.
Chang-Diaz, Franklin R.↗