With Artemis, NASA will establish a long-term presence at the Moon, opening more of the lunar surface to exploration than ever before. This growth of lunar activity will require new, more robust communications, navigation, and networking capabilities. NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program has developed the LunaNet architecture to meet these needs.
LunaNet will leverage innovative networking techniques, standards, and an extensible framework to rapidly expand network capabilities at the Moon. This framework will allow industry, academia, and international partners to build and operate LunaNet nodes alongside NASA. These nodes will offer missions four distinct services: networking, navigation, detection and information, and radio/optical science services.
LunaNet overview video. Credits:
NASA/Reese Patillo
LunaNet Services
Networking
Typically, when missions launch into space, their communication down to
Earth is reliant on pre-scheduled links with either a space relay or a
ground-based antenna. With multiple missions journeying to the Moon, the
reliance on pre-scheduled links could limit communications opportunities and
efficiencies. LunaNet offers a network approach similar to
the internet on Earth, where users maintain connections with the
larger network and do not need to schedule data transference in advance.
LunaNet DTN concept graphic. Credits: NASA/Reese Patillo
The core network framework of LunaNet is Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN), which ensures data
flows seamlessly through the network and reaches its final destination despite
potential signal disruptions. In the event of a disruption
between two LunaNet nodes, DTN enables the nodes to store data
until the path becomes clear.
Navigation
For lunar navigation, the LunaNet approach offers operational independence
from data processing on Earth while maintaining high precision. The
architecture will provide missions with access to key
measurements necessary for onboard orbit determination and guidance system
operations, or surface positioning. Missions using LunaNet navigation services
would have everything they need for autonomous navigation at the Moon, whether
that be on the surface or in orbit.
“LunaNet will provide a new paradigm for Earth-independent navigation,
assuring crewed and robotic missions can quickly and accurately determine their
locations and feed that forward to their planning systems,” said Cheryl
Gramling, Associate Chief for Technology of the Mission Engineering and Systems
Analysis Division.
Detection and Information
LunaNet detection and information services provide alerts and other
critical information to users. This and similar capabilities
will greatly enhance situational awareness of astronauts, rovers, and
other assets on the lunar surface.
LunaSAR concept graphic. Credits: NASA/Reese Patillo
As an example, LunaNet will use space weather instruments that
detect potentially dangerous solar activity to warn users
directly, rather than waiting for direction to do so from network managers
on Earth. These alerts will be similar to those humans get on their smartphones
for hazardous weather.
LunaNet detection and
information services will also include a lunar search and rescue
capability, or LunaSAR. LunaSAR leverages the expertise of NASA’s Search
and Rescue office, which has long developed technologies for terrestrial search
and rescue.
“Astronaut safety and wellbeing are key concerns of
the Artemis missions,” said Cody Kelly, Search and
Rescue office mission manager for national
affairs. “Using LunaNet’s navigation services, LunaSAR will provide
location data to NASA distress beacons should contingencies arise.”
Science Services
LunaNet science services will provide nodes the opportunity to
perform measurements for the benefit of researchers on
Earth using their radio and infrared optical communications links. The
network of nodes could provide opportunities for baseline observations of the
Moon, frequent measurements that provide a comprehensive study of the lunar
environment over time. Additionally, the placement of nodes will allow for
regional or global observation of the Moon, offering scientists access to lunar
data over large spatial scales.
LunaNet antennas may also be used in applications like radio astronomy,
where antennas peer deep into space looking for radio emissions from distant
celestial objects. These capabilities will provide scientists with a new
platform to test novel theories about space science and advance scientific
knowledge.
LunaNet Interoperability Specifications
Last month, the LunaNet team published draft interoperability
specifications as a starting point for technical
discussions among industry and government experts from around the world. The
goal is a set of standards that can enable an open, evolving, cooperative lunar
communications and navigation architecture.
“Artemis is a collaborative endeavor, relying on academia, commercial
aerospace companies, and the international community. LunaNet is no different,”
said Jaime Esper, who helped lead development of
the draft interoperability specifications. “Together, we hope to
define a robust architecture that can meet the needs and desires of
the widest possible set of user missions and service providers.”
LunaNet concept graphic.
Credits: NASA/Reese Patillo
LunaNet Background
LunaNet began its
life at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland with a
cross-functional team of networking, navigation, science, and systems
engineering experts building upon previous NASA and international
activities. From this foundation, experts agency-wide came together
to refine the proposal and develop draft interoperability standards, and
LunaNet is now being led out of the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program office.
“LunaNet is an exciting
opportunity for the NASA communications and navigation team and the
science and exploration community at large,” said Dave Israel, communications
architect at Goddard. “Together, we’re refining a cutting-edge approach
that will meet the needs of lunar missions for many decades to
come.”
By Katherine Schauer and Danny Baird
NASA's Space Communications and
Navigation (SCaN) program
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