Wireless Channel Simulation for Antennas Mounted on Spacesuits and Lunar Vehicles

In this SBIR Phase I, Remcom proposes an extension to channel modeling and coverage analysis capabilities for lunar environments, directed toward addressing shortfalls associated with near-field effects around antennas mounted on spacesuits or lunar vehicles. One key area that poses challenges to simulation lies in the modeling of the complex, layered materials used in spacesuits and their impact on antenna radiation and ultimately on communication links. Several key scenarios for the Artemis missions involve communications between astronauts and 3GPP networks, or use of 3GPP sidelink or alternative protocols to allow device-to-device (D2D) communication between astronauts or network relay when one astronaut is out of network range. A robust simulation capability is needed to evaluate how the positions of single or multi-antenna configurations may impact communication performance in realistic lunar scenarios for these cases. Remcom proposes innovative approaches using Huygens surfaces to merge near-field and far-field domains, while addressing shortfalls in critical effects along surfaces along with accelerations to reduce computation times by multiple orders of magnitude. Key objectives include prototyping and analysis tasks to evaluate feasibility and provide a strong foundation for development of the ultimate capabilities in Phase II.

The ultimate outcome of this SBIR will be an enhanced version of the Wireless InSite 3D wireless prediction software that incorporates innovative Huygens surfaces and modeling of surface effects due to the complex multi-layered materials present in spacesuits, providing robust modeling for scenarios involving communication between astronauts and each other and with lunar networks. Given the challenges of obtaining measurements for lunar missions, this will provide a valuable prediction capability for assessing how alternative antenna designs, placements, and mounting options may perform in varying simulated conditions within dynamic scenarios on the Moon. In addition to meeting specific objectives for Artemis missions, the core technologies being researched and developed on this SBIR are generally useful for applications in the commercial wireless industry as well. Body-worn or carried devices, including watches, earbuds, or phones, can also have similar impacts due to their close proximity to the human body. An optimized capability that captures key effects along the surface of the skin and does so in a highly-accelerated manner will also provide significant benefit to engineers designing wireless devices.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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