Scientists from Wrocław co -create the navigation system on the moon

Moonlight is the name of the new navigation system created by the European Space Agency (ESA). It is to enable precise positioning on the surface of the moon and near it. Scientists from the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław participate in the project.

The Wroclaw university in the announcement sent on Tuesday announced that there are plans to place four orbiters (satellites), receivers in lakes, rover and satellites, as well as the distribution of ground network – reference stations, telescopes and laser stations.

“The whole mission is to start in 2031. But before this happens, you need to develop algorithms that will allow you to precisely determine the position of satellites and the user. And here Polish scientists enter the game,” reads the communiqué.

The team from the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław consists of dr Grzegorz Bury, dr Radosław Zajdel and prof. Krzysztof Sośnica; He was responsible, among others for testing models describing the movement of satellites around the moon.

“The biggest challenge in developing and testing models was to take into account the actual, dynamic conditions in which the satellite moves at the parameters inflicted by ESA” – explain Wrocław scientists cited in the communiqué.

The designed orbit around the moon is strongly elliptical, which means that the satellite moves much faster when it is closest to the surface (i.e. in the percentrum), and slower when it is from it the furthest (in Apocentrum). The problem is that it is in the percentrum that the satellite movement becomes the most unpredictable – it is affected by local gravitational interference (such as maskons – clusters of mass with a density greater than the average, located or shallowly under the surface of the heavenly body), nutritional forces, as well as variable flight speed.

“ESA parameters proposed by ESA determined the shape of the orbit as a heavily flattened ellipse, which means that in the peripheral region the speed of satellite is significantly higher. What's more, the shape of the orbit is not an ideal ellipse, and strongly deformed by the forces disturbing the curve. These forces change more dynamically, the faster the satellite moves. During the flight in the vicinity of the percentrum, it is very difficult to shape the deviations from its movement.

As researchers explain, in this situation there may be no loss of contact with the satellite, but we will know its location much worse than elsewhere. That is why the orbit was designed so that the satellite stays as short as possible over the problematic area by the surface, and spent most of the time in Apocentrum, where the conditions are more stable.

However, ESA set the bar above – it depended on maximum positioning accuracy throughout the duration of the circulation, even in the most difficult conditions. Because only then will the system be able to provide precise navigation data to all users, regardless of their location or mission stage.

Space radiation includes the biggest obstacles in extraterrestrial missions. Earthly satellites are partly protected against sun wind and space radiation thanks to the magnetic field of our planet. In the case of moon orbiters, this protection is already much weaker, which means that electronics, processors, and in particular, atomic clocks are very vulnerable to space radiation, solar flashes or magnetic storms in the sun.

“Without nuclear clocks, the navigation satellite cannot function, so there must be several such clocks on board (minimum two) to ensure adequate supply. Space radiation was also significant. The moon does not have a magnetic field, so the on -board electronics is exposed to sunburns and flares,” reads in the message. (PAP)

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