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Deep-Space Navigation Using Optical Communications Systems

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Deep-Space Navigation Using Optical Communications Systems Deep-Space Navigation Using Optical Communications Systems 1) 1) 1) By Tomas MARTIN-MUR, Sarah Elizabeth MCCANDLESS, and Reza KARIMI 1)Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA Optical communication links using lasers can potentially deliver data rates much higher than those possible using radio frequencies. If optical communications equipment is going to be carried by future deep-space missions, this equipment, with some adaptations, could also be used to perform tracking for trajectory determination. A number of experiments have been performed in Earth orbit and in lunar orbit using optical data links, while other missions have demonstrated optical links over interplanetary distances. Laser ranging using corner cube retroreflectors is a well-established technique that has been used for orbit determination of Earth orbiting spacecraft, for geodesy, and for lunar research, achieving centimeter-level precisions, but it is not a practical method for deep-space distances. There are two main optical tracking types that are being considered for deep-space navigation. The first is optical astrometry of spacecraft: a telescope on the ground images the laser beam coming from a spacecraft against the star background, determining its plane-of-sky position as seen from the observatory. This type will greatly benefit from the release of the high-accuracy star catalog produced by ESA’s Gaia mission, allowing for the generation of plane-of-sky measurements with an accuracy similar to that obtained today using VLBI tracking techniques. The second is optical ranging using active optical systems at both ends of the link, requiring a more careful design of the spacecraft optical communications system. One of the advantages of using optical frequencies is that they are not affected by charged particles in the signal path the way that radio frequencies are, eliminating solar plasma and ionospheric effects from the light-time calculation and the corresponding noise. On the other hand, clouds would preclude any type of optical communication, and daytime light scattering precludes astrometric measurements. This paper presents our analysis so far of the performance that could be achieved using optical data types in a number of deep-space scenarios. One of the questions that we are trying to answer is whether spacecraft equipped with optical communications terminals would also need to carry radio-frequency equipment for navigational purposes. We also want to understand how accurately we will be able to navigate spacecraft in different mission types and phases, and what would be the constraints, advantages, and disadvantages of using optical communications systems for deep-space navigation. Key Words: Navigation, Orbit Determination, Optical Communications, Deep Space 1. Introduction optical system, down to errors of a few cms when compared with high-precision ephemeris.1) Since the first interplanetary spacecraft, radio-frequency There are a number of deep-space mission types that could communications systems have been the main means to obtain greatly benefit from increased data rates: planetary relay the tracking data necessary to navigate in deep space. Optical spacecraft could dedicate less time to transfer the data to the navigation, i.e. the use of images to track solar system bodies Earth when using optical links, and missions surveying other against the star background, has also been used, especially bodies could send more data or spend less time communicating when the position of the target object has not been determined with the Earth with higher data rates. well enough to navigate just using radio-frequency data. Using Since it is very probable that future deep-space missions will optical navigation requires carrying a suitable camera, either carry optical communications systems, we were interested in one that can also be used for other purposes, e.g. science investigating the potential and constraints of using those same imaging, or a dedicated one. Up to now, active deep-space systems for navigation. spacecraft have always been equipped with a radio system in order to transmit data to the ground and to receive commands 2. Optical Tracking from the ground, and this communications link has also been used to perform navigational tracking. Radio-frequency tracking can produce measurements of the Communications in the optical frequencies can substantially Doppler shift of the signal’s frequency, perform ranging to increase the data rates possible for command and telemetry measure the round-trip light-time of the signal and, when the when compared with radio-frequency links. NASA’s Lunar signal is received at two distant ground sites, calculate the Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) difference in arrival time between the two to determine the mission carried out a Lunar Laser Communication plane-of-sky position of the spacecraft. At optical frequencies, Demonstration that achieved uplink data rates up to 20 Mbps coherently measuring the Doppler shift could be very and downlink data rates up to 622 Mbps, both at lunar distances. challenging, but precisely measuring the round-trip light-time This mission also performed round-trip Time of Flight (TOF) has been already demonstrated in a number of missions. While measurements that showcased the ranging capabilities of the at Earth’s orbit it is possible to use retroreflectors to bounce 1 laser signals, at deep-space distances that approach is not not affected by charged particles in the light path – solar plasma sufficient, and an active system is needed on the spacecraft to and ionosphere – which are one of the most important error sources track the uplink signal and transmit the necessary ranging data for radiometric tracking. For optical ranging, and with an on an on-board generated downlink signal. In addition, it appropriate design of the ground and flight terminals, the dominant should be possible to perform astrometric measurements by error source should be the uncertainty and fluctuation of the imaging the return signal against the background of stars, to tropospheric delay through the neutral atmosphere. determine the plane-of-sky position of the spacecraft as seen by The measurement model for optical ranging is the same as for an observatory on the ground. radio ranging, but with no ionospheric group delay and, possibly, Unfortunately, optical tracking is going to be affected by with a different modeling of the tropospheric delay. Optical local weather much more than radio tracking. While cloud ranging should be possible with a two-way measurement, but also cover and storms can increase the noise of radio data – as a one-way measurement if high-precision atomic clocks are especially at higher frequencies – could cover, fog or dust can available at both sides of the link. completely preclude the transmission of optical signals. In addition, while it should be possible to perform optical 2.2. Ground-based Optical Astrometry communications and ranging down to a few degrees away from The Gaia catalog, once it is published and it is properly tied to the Sun direction, high-precision astrometry will require local the International Celestial Reference Frame10) will improve darkness, as atmospheric sunlight – or even moonlight – ground-based astrometry in a number of ways. It will provide scattering can easily overcome the light received from stars. positions and proper motions for stars up to the 20th magnitude, These constraints can be alleviated by deploying multiple greatly densifying the set of sources that can be used to reference ground terminals, close enough to be within the beam width of spacecraft measurements. The density would also facilitate the the returned signal, but far enough to ensure that the weather is calibration of telescope distortion, or even the real-time calibration uncorrelated and that at least one of them will be able to track of differential tropospheric refraction. Because so many sources under adequate conditions most of the time. will be available, the field of view of the telescope can be reduced, The most important contributor to high-precision astrometry increasing resolution and allowing for the sampling of a smaller is going to be the release of the star catalog created by ESA’s area of the troposphere, and thus reducing the effect of atmospheric Gaia mission.2) This catalog, together with advances in turbulence.3) It is expected that the absolute accuracy of the catalog observing techniques and instrumentation, could allow for will be about 7 µas for star magnitudes between 3 and 12, up to a nanoradian-level ground astrometry.3) few nanoradians for a star magnitude of 20.2) JPL is in the process of calibrating a new camera mounted on When compared with the most accurate method for Pomona College’s 1-m telescope that will be used to demonstrate radiofrequency plane-of-sky tracking – delta-Differenced One- the techniques and performance achievable with narrow-field way Ranging (delta-DOR) – astrometry has the advantage of ground astrometry, in that process validating the assumptions for requiring only one ground station to generate measurements, our analysis.3) Work is also underway to set up a high-power laser allowing for more tracking opportunities. It also has the significant at the Optical Communication Testbed Laboratory at Table disadvantage of being precluded by both cloud cover and sunlight Mountain Observatory to perform ranging experiments,13) as well scattering; missions near Mercury or Venus are not going to be as to add ranging capabilities to a prototype deep-space spacecraft good candidates for astrometric tracking. optical terminal.14) One of the challenges of spacecraft astrometry is that spacecraft exhibit a large proper motion against the star background. In that, 2.1. Ground-based Optical Ranging they are similar to planets and other solar system bodies. Post- The use of optical links to perform deep-space ranging was processing of multiple short-exposure images can be used to fit the discussed in Ref.
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