A X‐Ray Pulsar/Inter‐Satellite Ranging/Landmark Integrated Navigation Method for Deep Space Exploration

ABSTRACT To improve the autonomous navigation accuracy of the Mars probe, a navigation method for orbit around mars using an auxiliary satellite and absolute and relative position information of x‐ray pulsars/inter‐satellite ranging/landmark integrated navigation is proposed in this paper. In this method, the Mars probe and the auxiliary satellite simultaneously observe the same x‐ray pulsar, and the difference in pulse arrival time (TDOA) is calculated by comparing their observations. The states of both the spacecraft and the auxiliary satellite are estimated by integrating the prior known position of the auxiliary satellite. To address systematic errors that remain constant over short periods—such as those introduced by the spacecraft's measurement instruments and satellite systems—these constant errors are incorporated into the state model to improve estimation and prediction accuracy. Moreover, to further enhance navigation precision, the approach integrates x‐ray pulsar navigation, inter‐satellite ranging, and landmark‐based navigation thereby improving system robustness. This approach demonstrates a significant reduction in errors, such as pulsar ephemeris inaccuracies and satellite clock drift, compared to traditional pulsar‐based navigation methods. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing navigation performance.