Deep space Optical Terminal: Design study on a lunar laser communication system

The future will see an increase in missions headed for deep space. Advanced payloads will require higher data rates in more efficient spacecraft. Conventional space communication is facilitated through RF technology. Although it is very reliable, doubts arise on its future sustainability because of limited bandwidth, inefficiency and a saturated...

On line-of-sight navigation for deep-space applications: A performance analysis

Line-of-Sight (LoS) navigation is an optical navigation technique that exploits the direction to visible celestial bodies, obtained from an onboard imaging system, to estimate the position and velocity of a spacecraft. The directions are fed to an estimation filter, where they are matched with the actual position of the observed bodies,...

Autonomous navigation for deep space small satellites: Scientific and technological advances

In recent years, there is a growing interest in small satellites for deep space exploration. The current approach for planetary navigation is based on ground-based radiometric tracking. A new era of low-cost small satellites for space exploration will require autonomous deep space navigation. This will decrease the reliance on ground-based...

Communications architecture for Martian surface exploration with a swarm of wind-driven rovers

This decade has seen growing interest in Mars exploration. Advances in distributed systems, miniaturization and commoditization of space electronics and innovations in communications permit us to rethink the current paradigm of relying on a few heavy, slow and expensive high-tech rovers for Mars surface exploration. In this work, we address the...

Electrodynamic Tethers For Deep Space Missions: A Feasibility Study

With current technology, it has been found that the feasibility of long-term adaptable exploration missions at the far reaches of the Solar System and beyond is limited, due to shortcomings in conventional propulsion systems. Electrodynamic tether (EDT) propulsion methods may provide a viable alternative, utilising either the interplanetary...

Optimization of Space Trajectories Including Multiple Gravity Assists and Deep Space Maneuvers

The optimization of high-thrust interplanetary trajectories continues to draw attention. Especially when both Multiple Gravity Assists (MGA) as well as Deep Space Maneuvers (DSMs) are included, the optimization is typically very difficult. The search space may be characterized by a large number of minima and is furthermore very sensitive to...

Filtering techniques for orbital debris conjunction analysis

The steadily growing amount of orbital debris increases the probability and amount of collisions between two objects in orbit about the Earth. These collisions in turn create even more debris, and it is therefore important to keep track of future conjunctions. The U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN) uses ground- and space-based sensors to...

Optimization of interplanetary trajectories with deep space maneuvers - Model development and application to a Uranus orbiter mission