Conceptual Development of Differential Lunar Navigation Satellite System on the Moon Using a Swarm of Lunar Rovers

Abstract This study introduces strategies for the establishment of a differential lunar navigation satellite system (DLNSS) on the Moon using a swarm of lunar rovers and provides a performance analysis. The proposed DLNSS can enhance user positioning accuracy by broadcasting differential correction messages generated using raw measurements collected at multiple reference receivers with accurately known antenna coordinates. However, accurately determining the coordinates of reference receiver antennas presents a challenge, particularly in the absence of precise positioning methods on the Moon. In our proposed scheme for establishing a DLNSS on the Moon, we address this challenge by employing cooperative positioning techniques using a swarm of lunar rovers with a lunar navigation satellite system (LNSS) and ultra-wideband technology. Our simulations show that the proposed LNSS differential corrections achieve a three-dimensional user positioning accuracy that is better than a few meters with four or eight LNSS satellites.