LA-MOON BY JPL’S I2F 2020 TEAM LUNAR ASSET MESSAGING AND ON ORBIT NAVIGATION

Paper number

IAC-21,A3,IP,17,x62138

Author

Mr. Chrishma Singh-Derewa, United States

Year

2021

Abstract

The Artemis thrust has increased focus on the Moon as a destination for future human
and robotic expeditions, a CubeSat constellation that provides general purpose navigational and communications infrastructure would reduce the complexity of future missions and help establish a sustained
Lunar presence. A framework through which Lunar missions can relay communications and localize
their positions shifts the burden from the individual mission and enables resource allocation tailored to
mission-specific goals. During the summer of 2020, student interns under the Innovation to Flight (i2F)
program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL) in collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder designed, built, and tested a prototype
framework capable of providing surface assets with communication and positioning services. The team
utilized the existing i2F CubeSat bus in addition to developing several CubeSat engineering development
units (EDUs), a ground vehicle, and a ground station to simulate a scenario in which a lunar surface
mission is supported by these services. A primary goal of the summer was to develop a method for
localizing the ground vehicle through trilateration. Distances are inferred from the round-trip time of
flight (ToF) of radio signals between an asset and several elements. Signals were sent and received using
LimeSDR software defined radios on-board both the ground vehicle and the EDUs; ToF and trilateration
were calculated on a Qualcomm Snapdragon development board. The ModalAI chipset on the Qualcomm
was instrumental in executing visual based position estimation. Communications was facilitated through
a bent-pipe approach addressing the NASA requirement to provide solutions for in communication denied
locations. The ground vehicle relayed information to other surface assets in addition to its ground station through the supporting constellation. This project demonstrates the feasibility of a lunar CubeSat
constellation for the support of surface assets and explores packaging and operations of the components
critical to trilateration and bent-pipe communication into a standard CubeSat form factor. When implemented, this framework will open a door for new surface missions designed with lower power requirements
and increased operational access.

Abstract document

IAC-21,A3,IP,17,x62138.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-21,A3,IP,17,x62138.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.