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ESDMD #0104: Earth-Independent Surface Positioning, Navigation, and Timing for Deep Space Missions

Positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) on the Mars surface that does not depend on Earth, so crew, robots and vehicles can be tracked through communication delays, disruptions and blackouts (bin 5, rating 48 of 57). The starting points are the robotic Mars rovers and, for timing, the Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC-1), first flown in 2019. A Mars-only gap, in the Humans to Mars segment; it is the last gap in bin 5 (Tech gaps spreadsheet, ESDMD #0104).

Quotations below are from row ESDMD #0104 of the tech gaps spreadsheet. ADD Rev C's Appendix D prints the same table for this gap, and it matches the row field for field (ADD Rev C, p. 207).

Description

"Crewed missions and complex robotic missions are not operationally efficient or safe without constant and accurate positioning, navigation, and timing of crew, mobility, and transportation systems. Similar to lunar surface operations, long traverses across the Mars surface will require absolute localization to facilitate path planning and execution. There are challenges that prevent reliable surface positioning, navigation, and timing such as communication delays, disruptions, and blackout periods. To mitigate, there should be Earth-independent solutions available that can provide high-availability surface positioning, navigation, and timing for deep space surface missions."

Impacts and benefits: "Without gap closure, the impacts are increased risk of not being able to accurately and reliably track crew, autonomous and robotic systems, and mobility assets, as well as continued reliance on Earth-based positioning, navigation, and timing support for deep space surface missions."

Current state of the art

"There have been several robotic missions to Mars (e.g., Curiosity and Perseverance rovers). The current robotic EDL and surface navigation capabilities represent a starting point from which equivalent human-rated systems will evolve. For timing systems, the current state of the art is the Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC-1), which conducted its first mission in 2019."

Performance target

Mars: "Enable high availability position, navigation, and timing (PNT) services to support spacecraft operations with disruptions and blackout considerations."

Child gaps

  • 0104-01: Earth-independent tracking systems for deep space missions
  • 0104-02: Earth-independent navigation systems for deep space missions
  • 0104-03: Earth-independent timing systems for deep space missions

Traceability

  • Use cases and functions: UC-C-202 M -- FN-C-201 M; UC-C-203 M -- FN-C-202 M
  • Definition tasks: Mars: MD-12 Maximum Allowable Crewed Communications Disruption; Surface PNT Strategy

The lunar PNT gap #0101 traces to the lunar versions of the same use cases (UC-C-202 L, UC-C-203 L).

Segments and sub-architectures

Priority

Priority bin 5, overall prioritization rating 48 of 57. The rating is "the gap's location in the prioritized list of gaps", so 1 is the highest priority, and bins group gaps of similar priority, bin 1 highest. Criticality, urgency, breadth and depth set the order; cost is not considered (ADD Rev C, pp. 78, 199; method on the gaps index).

Moon Base relevance

Not established by the sources so far. The gap is Mars-only in the spreadsheet, and the Users Guide does not name it among its near-term Moon Base challenges (Technology and knowledge challenges). The Users Guide's Mars-forward discussion is on Mars-forward.

Sources

Tech gaps spreadsheet, ESDMD #0104 · ADD Rev C, pp. 78, 199, 207