Lunar surface navigation system based on measuring parameters of Moon gravitational field

V.F. Fateev, D.S. Bobrov, R.A. Davlatov, V.P. Lopatin, M.M. Murzabekov, E.A. Rybakov, I.S. Silvestrov

FSUE “VNIIFTRI”, Moscow region, Mendeleevo, Russia
generalfat@mail.ru

Al’manac of Modern Metrology № 3 (35) 2023, pages 67–95

Abstract. The article proposes the composition of the autonomous navigation system and presents the results of modeling a mobile lunar rover based on measuring the parameters of the gravi­tational field of the Moon (MGF). It is proposed to include a high-precision relative gravimeter, a gravitational gradiometer, a platformless inertial navigation system (PINS) and a special computer in the measuring instruments of the gravimetric lunar surface navigation system. The creation of such a system involves the consistent solution of two problems: the preparation of maps of the gravitational field of the Moon and the creation of onboard gravimetric sensors of the required accuracy. The most important feature of the lunar surface gravimetric navigation system is that the magnitude of anomalies of gravitational gradients on the surface of the Moon is about an order of magnitude higher than on the surface of the Earth.
The expected error in lunar surface navigation by the gravitational field of the Moon when using modern ground gravimeters and gradiometers (with an error of 1 mGal and 5 Eotves, res­pec­tively) is 100–260 m. At the same time, for the implementation of the lunar surface navigation system, it is necessary to develop gravimeters, gradiometers and PINS in space design. To clarify the parameters of the GPL, it is proposed to create a near-lunar russian mission “satellite — satellite” based on a measuring system of nanosatellites.

Keywords: autonomous lunar navigation, gravitational field of the Moon, nanosatellites.

Full texts of articles are available only in Russian in printed issues of the magazine.