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Completed TRL 5 (started at 3, targeting 5)
This project will establish a hardware-in-the-loop testing capability for X-ray Pulsar Navigation (XNAV) in the context of the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Orion Optical Navigation (OON) testbed, and to identity a practical XNAV sensor package targeting cis-lunar operations for Orion EM2/3 and lunar habitat modules. This effort will leverage software developments from the Station Explorer for Navigation and Timing Technology (SEXTANT) and hardware concepts from the Neutron-star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission.
Missions operating far from Earth including crewed and uncrewed missions need to operate and navigate autonomously with minimal support from the ground.
A XNAV sensor complements other on-board optical navigation sensors, provide an accurate timing source for Mars and deep space missions.
In addition, the XNAV sensor can serve a dual purpose, as a science sensor aiding the astrophysics (X-ray astronomy) community in performing science outside of LEO.
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