Momentum Unload Maneuver Planning for a Lunar Navigation Satellite
Author(s)
Hartigan, Mark C.
Hatten, Noble
Hur-Diaz, Sun
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Abstract
NASA is developing an infrastructure at the Moon called LunaNet to provide position,
navigation, and timing (PNT) services to orbiting and surface users on the
Moon. One reference orbit that has been considered for a Lunar Navigation Node
(LNN) is a 12-hour frozen orbit. The impact of regularly scheduled momentum unload
maneuvers on such an orbit and its PNT service availability was analyzed, and
an approach was established to minimize their disturbances to the orbit. Goddard’s
General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) was used to survey the effects of momentum
unload maneuver timing and direction on orbit stability and find an appropriate solution.
For a LNN satellite autonomously performing its orbit determination (OD), the
impact of timing and direction of the momentum unloads on PNT service availability
was analyzed using a combination of Monte-Carlo techniques and linear covariance
analysis with Goddard’s Orbit Determination Toolbox (ODTBX). For the reference
frozen orbit, performing momentum unloads near apoapsis and in the orbit-normal
direction was found to strike the best balance between service availability and orbit
perturbation. Adopting this approach will improve service uptime of the LNN by
reducing outages from momentum unloads, as well as save fuel and extend mission
life by minimizing the need for corrective maneuvers.
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Date
2023-02
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Text
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Paper
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