Description:

This collaboration involved the development of a high-precision laser inertial navigation unit, a key complement for a continuous-time position-navigation-and-timing (PNT) chip module that would allow small spacecraft to operate in environments without GPS, as envisaged for the LunaNet architecture. Akin to Earth internet, this allows data exchange with lunar assets to be relayed freely without requiring complicated procedures. Furthermore, with the new navigational assistance and timing reference, this LunaNet module supports interoperable lunar surface navigation and their relative motion, precise satellite and asset orbital determination, and human location services. In the two-year project timeframe, the team matured the high-precision laser inertial navigation unit from fundamental laboratory research into a TRL-4 packaged unit towards flight.

Benefits: The key appeal this technology is in achieving an integrated PNT module in a SmallSat form-factor for GPS-independent navigation, with an order of magnitude improvement over the current state-of-the-art. In a lunar context, which this technology was originally targeted for, such technology could enable tracking-data relay satellites in lunar orbit to effectively serve as the network access node for continuous communications with other lunar orbital and surface assets. Providing a timing reference and navigational assistance, such assets would enable interoperable lunar surface navigation, precise satellite and asset orbital determination, and human location services.