Jervis Autonomy Module (JAM) Test Flight

The Jervis Autonomy Module (JAM) demonstration will assess the performance of an onboard autonomous guidance and navigation technology. Current cislunar missions require two-way ranging and radiometrics to determine their position beyond geosynchronous orbit; however, this method is limited by long contact times and personnel-driven ground processes. To address these limitations, JAM provides onboard autonomous optical navigation designed to eliminate the cost and time needed for radiometrics. Additionally, JAM is designed to free up aperture time formerly needed by two-way ranging and Doppler radiometrics. This, in turn, could allow navigation and mission designers the capability to handle more spacecraft. The flight test aims to demonstrate autonomous cislunar navigation and maneuver derivation. 

Problem Statement 
With long contact times and personnel-driven ground processes that depend on human personnel, radiometric-based navigation of cislunar spacecraft has significant limitations. JAM is designed to provide onboard autonomous guidance and navigation to enable the spacecraft to determine its orbit in cislunar space from optical images without ground-based personnel or two-way ranging and Doppler radiometrics. Instead, JAM performs optical navigation using images taken of celestial objects. Onboard image processing determines spacecraft location and orbit in absolute or relative coordinates without ground processing. The use of optical navigation frees ground aperture time to be used for data-only contact and reduces personnel requirements for performing navigation, both of which would allow existing Earth-based infrastructure to handle an increasing number of spacecraft while reducing costs. Since JAM is an optics-only solution, it can also provide position, navigation, and timing capabilities in environments without GPS.

Technology Maturation 
The flight test is expected to demonstrate autonomous cislunar navigation and maneuver derivation. Researchers aim to assess the optical in-space capability of calculating orbit determinations (OD), orbit trim maneuvers (OTM), and trajectory correction maneuvers (TCM) to compare them with onboard radiometrically derived parameters on Spaceflight’s Sherpa-Orbital Transfer Vehicle (Sherpa-OTV). The demonstration is expected to identify the performance of JAM on two desired mission types: lunar and geosynchronous. The flight test aims to advance this innovation’s technology readiness level (TRL) to TRL 9, allowing JAM to be adopted for missions on cislunar spacecraft.

Efficient: Decreases the cost, labor, and frequency of communications for maneuvering in space by removing the need for two-way ranging Scalable: Allows existing Earth-based infrastructure to handle an increasing number of spacecraft while reducing costs 

Future Customers 
Potential for cislunar human spaceflight or robotic missions Applicable to other cislunar missions (e.g., communications, landers, service providers) Possible use for U.S. Department of Defense cislunar surveillance missions

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