In mid-2020 Lockheed Marin Space (LM) and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) formed a working group to study and address the need for a lunar communications network to service a growing lunar economy, beginning with the initial crewed and robotic mission needs in 2024. Multiple commercial relay architectures were studied and evaluated for platform requirements, communications capabilities, and commercial business viability in a growing ecosystem. The evolution of communications needs around the Moon were mapped to infrastructure build out. Trade studies were performed to evaluate reliability and lifetime requirements, and the viability of various data protocols. Mission concepts and operations plans were developed for both initial mission support and future autonomous network support. This work has led to Lockheed Martin and JPL to evaluate a single dedicated relay satellite in a frozen lunar orbit, with simultaneous coverage of the farside and south pole landing sites for over 10 hours per pass as a first step towards a comprehensive solution to lunar connectivity. This first satellite is compatible with an ESPA Grande launch volume and would be capable of launching on a rideshare into a variety of orbits and trajectories. The satellite is equipped with both high- and low-rate communications relay payloads with software-defined radios and a delay/disruption tolerant networking protocol. The system is designed to service initial and future mission needs in a commercialized manner, enabling a new class of missions to the Moon. The relay satellite leverages prior spacecraft platform work with on-orbit heritage in a lunar environment expected by 2023.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Lunar Communications Services with Emphasis on Commercialization


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2022-03-05


    Size :

    890316 byte




    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Lunar Communications Services with Emphasis on Commercialization

    Davarian, Faramaz / Ware, John | NTRS | 2022


    Lunar Commercialization Workshop

    G. L. Martin | NTIS | 2008


    Lunar Commercialization Workshop

    Martin, Gary L. | NTRS | 2009


    Lunar Commercialization Workshop

    G. L. Martin | NTIS | 2009


    Lunar Commercialization Workshop

    Martin, Gary L. | NTRS | 2008