Application and Use of Lunar Node-Derived Beacons for Lunar Surface Navigation

To maximize the scientific return and safety of operations on the lunar surface, multiple civil organizations are investing in Position, Navigation, and Timing infrastructure. This approach mimics the deployment of Global Navigation Satellite Systems around the Earth and aims to enable a similar robust capability around the moon. With these satellites, it will be possible to maintain high- fidelity knowledge of positioning and timing both on the surface and in orbit. For initial deployments, this capability is focused on high need areas, such as the Lunar South Pole, the target of the currently in-planning Artemis surface missions to high accuracy. Similar to GNSS systems, this capability will be implemented over time to build up to a level of global access for real-time navigation. For early missions, this means a limited capability in terms of coverage. To provide increased performance, ground augmentation can be leveraged. This not only provides an additional reference signal but helps to supply timing to enable a high accuracy real-time position solutions. This paper discusses the path towards evolving the Lunar Node 1 platform to augment these early constellation deployments. Analysis of notional performance with and without surface aids is provided, as well as discussion and paths towards deployment and operation. Given the analysis results, the benefit of surface navigation aids to both provide additional surface-based signals to fill in coverage gaps helps to provide additional robustness and an early-on capability.