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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Multi-Spacecraft Coherent Doppler and Ranging for Interplanetary Navigation

Future interplanetary mission concepts are increasingly focusing on multi-spacecraft missions and on small sample return missions which may involve the rendezvous between a spacecraft which brings a sample from the surface of a solar system body and a spacecraft which will return the sample to the Earth. These types of missions place tight requirements on the knowledge of the relative positions of the spacecraft. Historically spacecraft positions have been determined by the use of radio metric data (Doppler and range) between the spacecraft and terrestrial receiving stations. However, the various systems available place tight requirements on the stability of onboard frequency standards on each spacecraft and on the precision of the data extraction hardware on the spacecraft. An alternative is to extend the coherent ground to spacecraft link through one spacecraft to the other and then to the ground or back through the first spacecraft and to the ground receiver. Although this might appear initially to complicate the separation of the dynamics of the two spacecraft, this paper will show that in actual application, judicious selection of spacecraft transponder frequency ratios and the use of coherent Doppler and ranging and the derived observable, DRVID (Differenced Range vs. Integrated Doppler) can allow for the generation of observable equations which are dominated by the spacecraft to spacecraft link.

interplanetary↗
NASA NTRS2007

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Interplanetary Navigation

This viewgraph presentation reviews the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) interplanetary navigation. An interplanetary overview including dynamic models of outgassing, small force calibration and trending, solar radiation pressure and trajectory correction maneuvers are also described.

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)↗
NASA NTRS2010

Use of Reference Frames for Interplanetary Navigation at JPL

Navigation of interplanetary spacecraft is typically based on range, Doppler, and differential interferometric measurements made by ground-based telescopes. Acquisition and interpretation of these observations requires accurate knowledge of the terrestrial reference frame and its orientation with respect to the celestial frame. Work is underway at JPL to reprocess historical VLBI and GPS data to improve realizations of the terrestrial and celestial frames. Improvements include minimal constraint alignment, improved tropospheric modeling, better orbit determination, and corrections for antenna phase center patterns.

International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF)↗
NASA NTRS1988

Preliminary performance analysis of an interplanetary navigation system using asteroid based beacons

A futuristic interplanetary navigation system using transmitters placed on selected asteroids is introduced. This network of space beacons is seen as a needed alternative to the overly burdened Deep Space Network. Covariance analyses on the potential performance of these space beacons located on a candidate constellation of eight real asteroids are initiated. Simplified analytic calculations are performed to determine limiting accuracies attainable with the network for geometric positioning. More sophisticated computer simulations are also performed to determine potential accuracies using long arcs of range and Doppler data from the beacons. The results from these computations show promise for this navigation system.

Jee, J. Rodney↗
NASA NTRS2000

Adaptive Interplanetary Navigation Using Genetic Algorithms

The problem of tuning trajectory determination models for interplanetary navigation is a complex task requiring an intensive search of multiple dynamical and nondynamical models that yield trajectory solutions with minimal errors.

adaptive↗
NASA NTRS1975

Statistical analysis of trim maneuvers in low thrust interplanetary navigation

An analytical technique for the statistical analysis of a low thrust trim maneuver in interplanetary navigation has been developed. The maneuver is treated rigorously as a nonlinear function of the trajectory errors to be removed, and the corresponding nongaussian statistics are developed. The method determines the statistical properties of the maneuver direction and duration, as well as the final state dispersion covariance. The analytical technique is applied to the terminal maneuver in a 1980 Encke slow flyby mission and is found to yield accurate statistical results with much less effort than Monte Carlo simulation. The method permits consideration of a shorter terminal maneuver than does linear analysis, with a consequent improvement in delivery accuracy.

Rinker, G. C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Interplanetary navigation using pulsating radio sources

Radio beacons with distinguishing signatures exist in nature as pulsating radio sources (pulsars). These objects radiate well determined pulse trains over hundreds of megahertz of bandwidth at radio frequencies. Since they are at known positions, they can also be used as navigation beacons in interplanetary space. Pulsar signals are weak and dispersive when viewed from earth. If an omnidirectional antenna is connected to a wideband receiver (200 MHz bandwidth centered at 200 MHz) in which dispersion effects are removed, nominal spacecraft position errors of 1500 km can be obtained after 24 h of signal integration. An antenna gain of 10 db would produce errors as low as 150 km. Since the spacecraft position is determined from the measurement of the phase of a periodic signal, ambiguities occur in the position measurement. Simultaneous use of current spacecraft navigation schemes eliminates these ambiguities.

Downs, G. S.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Interplanetary navigation - An overview

The major elements of the Voyager navigational system are described, within the context of a general review of current interplanetary navigational techniques and equipment. The data processing components of the Voyager navigational system are described, including the ground-based computational facilities and software, and the different support functions. A block diagram of the ground based data processing system is presented. The development of VLBI techniques for a high-precision quasi-relative navigational system to be incorporated into the navigational payload of the Galileo satellite in 1986 is also discussed.

Jordan, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Mars Science Laboratory Interplanetary Navigation Performance

The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, carrying the Curiosity rover to Mars, hit the top of the Martian atmosphere just 200 meters from where it had been predicted more than six days earlier, and 2.6 million kilometers away. This un-expected level of accuracy was achieved by a combination of factors including: spacecraft performance, tracking data processing, dynamical modeling choices, and navigation filter setup. This paper will describe our best understanding of what were the factors that contributed to this excellent interplanetary trajectory prediction performance. The accurate interplanetary navigation contributed to the very precise landing performance, and to the overall success of the mission.

Martin-Mur, Tomas J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Mars Exploration Rover - a new standard for interplanetary navigation

The twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, arrived at Mars for landings respectively at Gusev Crater (on January 4, 2004) and Meridiani Planum (on January 25, 2004). During the development of the mission, the capability of the navigation system to deliver the landers within a particular accuracy played a major role in landing site selection. This process ultimately resulted in commitments to deliver each lander within a specified landing ellipse (about 70 km x 5 km) determined to be safe for landing and also judged to be scientifically interesting. Achieving atmospheric entry delivery accuracies consistent with this landing requirement necessitated significant improvements to the interplanetary navigation system used for MER. These improvements included new processes and software for orbit determination, aggressive, mission-critical use of interferometric ADOR tracking data, propulsive maneuver design, and entry, descent, and landing (EDL) trajectory simulation. Because these advances pressed the state -of -the art, innovative methods to verify the assumptions in the pre-launch covariance analyses were also developed. The actual achieved atmospheric entry accuracies for Spirit and Opportunity significantly bettered the requirements.

navigation↗
NASA NTRS2011

Mars Science Laboratory Interplanetary Navigation Analysis

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a NASA rover mission that will be launched in late 2011 and will land on Mars in August of 2012. This paper describes the analyses performed to validate the navigation system for launch, interplanetary cruise, and approach. MSL will use guidance during its descent into Mars in order to minimize landing dispersions, and therefore will be able to use smaller landing zones that are closer to terrain of high scientific interest. This will require a more accurate delivery of the spacecraft to the atmospheric entry interface, and a late update of the state of the spacecraft at entry. During cruise and approach the spacecraft may perform up to six trajectory correction maneuvers (TCMs), to target to the desired landing site with the required flight path angle at entry. Approach orbit determination covariance analyses have been performed to evaluate the accuracy that can be achieved in delivering the spacecraft to the entry interface point, and to determine how accurately the state of the spacecraft can be predicted to initialize the guidance algorithm. In addition, a sensitivity analysis has been performed to evaluate which factors most contribute to the improvement or degradation of the navigation performance, for both entry flight path angle delivery and entry state knowledge.

orbit determination↗
NASA NTRS1981

Interplanetary navigation in the 1980's and 1990's

Interplanetary space missions for the 1980's and 1990's will require more accurate and more automated navigation than the missions of the 1970's have required. Spacecraft which have orbited Mars and Venus, landed on Mars, and flown past Jupiter and Saturn are giving way to spacecraft which may orbit Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, fly past Pluto, fly by or rendezvous with comets and asteroids, return samples from Mars, and fly close to the sun. Starting with the Voyager navigation system as a baseline, anticipated navigation requirements and performance for some of these candidate future missions are discussed, along with navigation system designs and strategies. Various developments in navigation technology, required or desirable for these missions, are treated.

Wood, L. J.↗