Autonomous Navigation Above the GNSS Constellations and Beyond: GPS Navigation for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission and SEXTANT Pulsar Navigation Demonstration

Abstract: This talk will describe two first-of-their-kind technology demonstrations attached to ongoing NASA science missions, both of which aim to extend the range of autonomous spacecraft navigation far from the Earth. First, we will describe the onboard GPS navigation system for the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission which is currently operating in elliptic orbits reaching nearly halfway to the Moon. The MMS navigation system is a key outgrowth of a larger effort at NASA Goddard Space Flight Ce…