Application of shaken lattice interferometry based sensors to space navigation

High-sensitivity shaken lattice interferometry (SLI) based sensors have the potential to provide deep space missions with the ability to precisely measure non-gravitational perturbing forces. This work considers the simulation of the OSIRIS-REx mission navigation in the vicinity of Bennu with the addition of measurements from onboard SLI-based accelerometers. The simulation is performed in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Mission Analysis, Operations and Navigation Toolkit (MONTE) and incorporates OSIRIS-REx recon-structed trajectory and attitude data from the Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) database. The use of the recon-structed data from NAIF provides realistic true dynamical errors and JPL's MONTE software allows for a high-fidelity simulation of an integrated trajectory for the filter. The navigation performance and reduction of tracking and complex modelling enabled by the onboard SLI-based sensor are presented for two orbital phases of the OSIRIS-REx mission. Overall, the results show that the addi-tion of SLI-based accelerometer measurements improves navigation performance, when compared to a radiometric tracking only con-figuration. In addition, results demonstrate that highly-precise accelerometer measurements can effectively replace at least one day of DSN passes over a three-day period, thereby reducing tracking requirements. Furthermore, it is shown that lower-fidelity surface force modeling and parameter estimation is required when using onboard SLI-based accelerometers.(c) 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of COSPAR.

Automated summary

This study simulates the navigation of the OSIRIS-REx mission near Bennu, incorporating measurements from high-sensitivity shaken lattice interferometry (SLI)-based accelerometers. The simulation utilizes the MONTE software and OSIRIS-REx reconstructed trajectory and attitude data from the NAIF database. The results show that the addition of SLI-based accelerometer measurements improves navigation performance and reduces tracking requirements.