Published Paper Details:

Accurate and reliable navigation systems are crucial for precise course correction and rendezvous maneuvers during long missions. Spacecraft experience deviations from their intended flight paths due to a combination of external forces, even if they are initially launched on a precise trajectory. These forces, though small, accumulate over time, causing deviations from the planned path. Even small pressure of sunlight on the spacecraft adds up over time and is sufficient to push the spacecraft off course. Once the spacecraft leaves the launchpad, an orbit determination analyst processes various forms of tracking data to find its position at any given time. Once the orbit determination team gets a good estimate for the current location of the spacecraft, the flight path control team evaluates how far the spacecraft has drifted from the reference trajectory. Other maneuvering management teams evaluate different thruster operation times to get the spacecraft back on course. The spacecraft team at the control center creates a set of commands to accomplish the correction. The commands are then uplinked to the spacecraft by the use of powerful Earth-equipped antennas and other equipment to communicate with the spacecraft. Antennas used for spacecraft communication need to be precisely pointed towards the spacecraft to ensure reliable data transmission and reception. Networks of antennas are indeed positioned around the Earth. These networks utilize multiple antenna complexes strategically located to ensure continuous communication with spacecraft across the globe. This orbit determination and flight path control continues without pause throughout the lifetime of a flight mission. The spacecraft generally keeps wandering off and must be brought back on course immediately before it starts moving along a lost path. Now an easy manner of navigation to different planets will make the spacecraft more independent from Earth-based monitoring stations positioned at different locations of the Earth. The necessity of orbit determination and flight path control will not be as crucial, as the spacecraft will have its own inbuilt system to keep it moving on its perfect linear trajectory. Also, as its maneuvering will not depend on signals from the earth stations, it will be extremely tough for the hostile entities to disturb its planned trajectory by cyber assaults. It will have a new function to make it tour parallel to the Sun's rays. That is, its main trajectory will be continually toward or away from the Sun. For precise touchdown on the Moon, Mars, or other planets, the time of uplift from the Earth will be based on its speed and the time of the planet that will approach its travel path. The same logic will be used to make it return to Earth. This system of navigation will make it adopt an auto-orbit correction system without depending on Earth-positioned monitoring stations that utilize complex technologies. The probabilities of the spacecraft getting drifted from its trajectory will be minimal, as a simple photoelectric cell tracking system will keep it moving parallel to the Sun's rays. For any trajectory deviation, a quick automatic maneuver will hold the spacecraft on path. It will use satellite-based mobile phone technology for communication and tracking purposes. This will assist in lessening its operational costs and dependencies on high-priced earth-based stations. Already orbiting satellites that are supporting the operation of satellite mobile phones will be the main source of communication.