NASA's Starling mission has shown that satellites can navigate without GPS. They do this by using other objects in orbit as reference points. This new system helps satellites figure out their position more independently.
Navigating Space Without GPS
Most satellites use GPS to find their way. However, GPS signals can be unreliable or unavailable far from Earth, like near the Moon or in deep space. NASA wants to send more missions beyond Earth, so they need new ways for spacecraft to navigate.
The new system is called FALCON (Fast Autonomous Lost-in-space Catalog-based Optical Navigation). It's a joint project between NASA and EraDrive, a company that started at Stanford University.
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Start Your News DetoxFALCON uses special software and algorithms from EraDrive, along with Starling's cameras and a list of known satellites. This allows the spacecraft to navigate without GPS. It also helps the satellite know more about other objects nearby in space.
Roger Hunter, a program manager at NASA, said FALCON is another success for the Starling mission. He noted that the results could help with monitoring space traffic, avoiding collisions, and finding new ways to navigate.
Using Other Space Objects as Reference Points
The FALCON demonstration tested two main features using Starling's star-tracker cameras. These cameras usually spot bright objects to help a spacecraft know its direction and location.
In one test, FALCON compared objects seen by Starling's cameras, like other spacecraft and space junk, with a public list of known space objects from the U.S. Department of War. Once these objects were identified, FALCON used them as reference points to calculate Starling's orbit.
In other tests, the system also improved how well it could estimate the orbits of objects seen by Starling's cameras. The mission team loaded a list of about 20,000 space objects and their predicted paths onto the spacecraft.
FALCON then compared these predictions with what Starling's cameras observed. Using both sets of information, it estimated Starling's position and the positions of other objects more accurately than the existing data. Over three days, FALCON improved the known orbits of over 200 objects without any help from people on the ground.
A Step Towards More Independent Spacecraft
FALCON's ability to determine its own orbit is a first for spacecraft using optical cameras to navigate based on other objects in space. Also, the system updated its onboard catalog of objects more accurately than ground stations could.
GPS-free satellite networks will be very important for future human missions to the Moon or Mars. There, many spacecraft might need to work together to support activities on the surface.
Accurate spacecraft positioning is also key for many science missions. Researchers need to precisely line up measurements taken from different places in space. For managing space traffic, autonomous navigation and onboard catalog updates could reduce the need for ground networks and help prevent collisions.
The FALCON experiment also shows how NASA supports commercial space technology. The project started as a university partnership and grew into EraDrive, which is now selling its software and hardware.
Starling provided a real-world test for this technology. It showed how advanced software can help satellites navigate on their own. Later this year, Starling will expand the FALCON experiment. Its four spacecraft will share tracking information and work together to improve their positions.
