Lunar Surface Navigation

The adverse environment of the lunar surface requires the implementation of unique land vehicle navigation techniques, concepts, and components to perform postulated future lunar surface navigation functions. Subject to the lunar environmental constraints, three generalized lunar surface navigation concepts are modeled and analyzed. The generalized hybrid concepts, consisting of both position fix and dead reckoning subconcepts, are a passive non-gyro, and inertial, and rf system. A generalized error model of the lunar surface navigation function, is applied to assess navigation system accuracy for each of the three systems. The analytical approach to model derivation is basically the covariance technique where 3 sigma error parameters of equipment errors and 3 sigma error measures of lunar physical uncertainties are related to a 3 sigma vehicle position error ellipsoid about a true point on the lunar surface. The error model digital computer program is applied to the navigation concepts and results are shown which indicate representative component and total concept accuracy requirements for lunar surface navigation in the 1972 to 1985 era.