Application of Pulsar-Based Navigation for Deep-Space CubeSats

Abstract

This paper investigates the use of pulsar-based navigation for deep-space CubeSats. A novel approach for dealing with the onboard computation of navigational solutions and timekeeping capabilities of a spacecraft in a deep-space cruise is shown, and the related implementation and numerical simulations are discussed. The pulsar’s signal detection, processing, and exploitation are simulated for navigation onboard a spacecraft, thus showing the feasibility of autonomous state estimation in deep space even for miniaturized satellites.

Design and Analysis of the Integrated Drag-Free and Attitude Control System for TianQin Mission: A Preliminary Result

“…The advancement of spacecraft technology has sparked a growing interest among researchers in deep space exploration, as evidenced by the increasing utilization of observation payloads on spacecraft to study distant celestial objects, and the ability to closely approach and investigate specific celestial bodies [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Consequently, drag-free control has emerged as a highly regarded technique in aerospace engineering due to its capacity for providing a stable platform in scientific spacecrafts [7], particularly for some in-orbit scientific experiments, or provide a observation platform for gravitational waves from deep space [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19], i.e., the TianQin mission [11][12][13][14][15].…”