A method and system for spacecraft navigation using distant celestial gamma-ray bursts which offer detectable, bright, high-energy events that provide well-defined characteristics conducive to accurate time-alignment among spatially separated spacecraft. Utilizing assemblages of photons from distant gamma-ray bursts, relative range between two spacecraft can be accurately computed along the direction to each burst's source based upon the difference in arrival time of the burst emission at each spacecraft's location. Correlation methods used to time-align the high-energy burst profiles are provided. The spacecraft navigation may be carried out autonomously or in a central control mode of operation.
Method and System for Gamma-Ray Localization Induced Spacecraft Navigation Using Celestial Gamma-Ray Sources
2015-09-22
Miscellaneous
No indication
English
Spacecraft Navigation Using Celestial Gamma-Ray Sources
AIAA | 2015
|Spacecraft Navigation Using Celestial Gamma-Ray Sources
Online Contents | 2015
|Spacecraft Navigation Using Celestial Gamma-Ray Sources (AAS 13-444)
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2013
|Relative Navigation of Spacecraft Utilizing Bright, Aperiodic Celestial Sources
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2007
|