Improvement of PNT Performances Using DLCNS in the Lunar Navigation System

The increasing complexity of lunar exploration missions necessitates stricter navigation requirements, especially when human life is involved. Extensive research is currently being conducted on various positioning systems suitable for the lunar environment. These include both the exploitation of terrestrial GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals, and the deployment of a lunar-dedicated satellite system known as the Lunar Communication and Navigation Service (LCNS). In order to meet the demanding navigation requirements, the usage of one or more lunar beacons to enhance Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) performance for different assets is under investigation to complement the LCNS system. This research aims to demonstrate the improvement of PNT accuracy by exploiting Differential LCNS (DLCNS) positioning techniques. To this end, both Single Point Positioning (SPP) and DLCNS techniques along with estimation algorithms such as Weighted Least Squares (WLS) and Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) were developed in a simulated lunar environment to assess their performances.