Spacecraft Navigation Using X-Ray Pulsars
نویسندگان
چکیده
M. G. Bernhardt, W. Becker, T. Prinz, U. Walter (TUM) References: • J. Rabe, Navigation von Raumfahrzeugen mittels Röntgenpulsaren, Diplomarbeit, LMU München (2008) • C. Sädtler, Satellitennavigation mit Röntgenpulsaren, Diplomarbeit, LMU München (2009) We investigate the possibility of an autonomous navigation system based on pulsar timing data. Onboard a spacecraft, such a system can determine its position as follows: Measuring a pulse profile and pulse arrival times and comparing them with a given reference profile and pulse phase. A possible phase shift then corresponds to a range difference along the line-ofsight to the pulsar. Finally, observations of at least four different pulsars are required to deduce the position of the spacecraft through triangulation.
منابع مشابه
Spacecraft Navigation Using X-Ray Pulsars
The feasibility of determining spacecraft time and position using x-ray pulsars is explored. Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that generate pulsed electromagnetic radiation. A detailed analysis of eight x-ray pulsars is presented to quantify expected spacecraft position accuracy based on described pulsar properties, detector parameters, and pulsar observation times. In addition, a tim...
متن کاملTitle of Thesis: APPLICATION OF X-RAY PULSAR NAVIGATION: A CHARACTERIZATION OF THE EARTH ORBIT TRADE SPACE
Title of Thesis: APPLICATION OF X-RAY PULSAR NAVIGATION: A CHARACTERIZATION OF THE EARTH ORBIT TRADE SPACE Wayne Hong Yu, Master of Science, 2015 Thesis directed by: Dr. Liam Healy Department of Aerospace Engineering The potential for pulsars as a navigation source has been studied since their discovery in 1967. X-ray pulsar navigation (XNAV) is a celestial navigation system that uses the consi...
متن کاملRecursive Estimation of Spacecraft Position and Velocity Using X-ray Pulsar Time of Arrival Measurements
The use of pulsars for spacecraft position determination has been considered since their discovery. These celestial sources provide unique signals that can be detected by sensors placed onboard spacecraft. Upon sufficient detection and processing, these signals can be used to generate range measurements with respect to an inertial reference location. Multiple measurements can be used to maintai...
متن کاملExperimental Validation of Pulse Phase Tracking for X-ray Pulsar Based Spacecraft Navigation
Pulsars are a form of variable celestial source that have shown to be usable as aids for autonomous, deep space navigation. Particulary those sources emitting in the X-ray band are ideal for navigation due to smaller detector sizes. In this paper X-ray photons arriving from a pulsar are modeled as a non-homogeneous Poisson process. The method of pulse phase tracking is then investigated as a te...
متن کاملForty Years of X-Ray Binaries
In 2012 it was forty years ago that the discovery of the first X-ray binary Centaurus X-3 became known. That same year it was discovered that apart from the High-Mass X-ray Binaries (HMXBs) there are also Low-Mass X-ray Binaries (LMXBs), and that Cygnus X-1 is most probably a black hole. By 1975 also the new class of Be/X-ray binaries was discovered. After this it took 28 years before ESAs INTE...
متن کامل