Nasa has found a way to allow orbiting satellites to estimate their position by referencing other objects in space rather than using traditional networks such as GPS.
As part of the Starling mission, Nasa deployed its FALCON technology (Fast Autonomous Lost-in-space Catalog-based Optical Navigation), which could allow future spacecraft to operate more independently.
Although GPS is widely used by satellites to estimate their position, it can prove unreliable and doesn’t work when moving away from Earthbound orbits. As Nasa prepares for more missions beyond Earth’s orbit, technologies such as FALCON can support lunar satellite swarms, distributed science missions and human exploration.
The FALCON payload itself uses flight software known as Era-Core, which was developed by startup firm EraDrive. This is used alongside Starling’s cameras and an onboard catalogue of known satellites to support GPS-independent navigation and space situational awareness.
“FALCON is yet another success for the...