Related papers: AI-Enabled Crater-Based Navigation for Lunar Mappi…
In the last 20 years, over 600 impact flashes have been documented on the lunar surface. This wealth of data presents a unique opportunity to study the meteoroid flux of the Earth-Moon environment, and in recent years the physical…
The large constellations of spacecraft planned for use in cislunar space (on the Lunar surface, in Lunar orbit, and in the vicinity of the Lunar Gateway) require new solutions for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT). Here, I describe…
The rapid growth of cislunar activities, including lunar landings, the Lunar Gateway, and in-space refueling stations, requires advances in cost-efficient trajectory design and reliable integration of navigation and remote sensing.…
Because of the communication delay between earth and moon, the GNC technology of lunar probe is becoming more important than ever. Current navigation technology is not able to provide precise motion estimation for probe landing control…
Craters are among the most studied geomorphic features in the Solar System because they yield important information about the past and present geological processes and provide information about the relative ages of observed geologic…
This work utilizes a MobileNetV2 Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for fast, mobile detection of satellites, and rejection of stars, in cluttered unresolved space imagery. First, a custom database is created using imagery from a synthetic…
On-board estimation of the pose of an uncooperative target spacecraft is an essential task for future on-orbit servicing and close-proximity formation flying missions. However, two issues hinder reliable on-board monocular vision based pose…
Recent advancements in lunar positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) have demonstrated that terrestrial GNSS signals, including weak sidelobe transmissions, can be exploited for lunar spacecraft positioning and timing. While GNSS-based…
Future lunar missions will require autonomous rovers capable of traversing tens of kilometers across challenging terrain while maintaining accurate localization and producing globally consistent maps. However, the absence of global…
In recent decades, the use of optical detection systems for meteor studies has increased dramatically, resulting in huge amounts of data being analyzed. Automated meteor detection tools are essential for studying the continuous meteoroid…
This study presents an autonomous orbit determination system based on crosslink radiometric measurements applied to a future lunar CubeSat mission to clearly highlight its advantages with respect to existing ground-based navigation…
Onboard localization capabilities for planetary rovers to date have used relative navigation, by integrating combinations of wheel odometry, visual odometry, and inertial measurements during each drive to track position relative to the…
This paper presents a navigation strategy to fly to the Moon along a Weak Stability Boundary transfer trajectory. A particular strategy is devised to ensure capture into an uncontrolled relatively stable orbit at the Moon. Both uncertainty…
Impact crater cataloging is an important tool in the study of the geological history of planetary bodies in the Solar System, including dating of surface features and geologic mapping of surface processes. Catalogs of impact craters have…
Vision Based Navigation consists in utilizing cameras as precision sensors for GNC after extracting information from images. To enable the adoption of machine learning for space applications, one of obstacles is the demonstration that…
This work presents a novel Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture and a training procedure to enable robust and accurate pose estimation of a noncooperative spacecraft. First, a new CNN architecture is introduced that has scored a…
This work investigates the use of stellar occultation measurements to enhance the orbit determination performance of the Lunar Meteoroid Impact Observer (LUMIO) mission, operating from a quasi-Halo orbit around the Earth-Moon L2 point.…
Robotic and human lunar landings are a focus of future NASA missions. Precision landing capabilities are vital to guarantee the success of the mission, and the safety of the lander and crew. During the approach to the surface there are…
Synthetic image generation is one of the crucial input for planetary missions. It enables researchers and engineers to visualize planned planetary missions, test imaging systems and plan exploration activities in a virtual environment…
Stellar light curves contain valuable information about oscillations and granulation, offering insights into stars' internal structures and evolutionary states. Traditional asteroseismic techniques, primarily focused on power spectral…