NASA tests navigation system that lets satellites find position without GPS
NASA has tested FALCON, a system that lets satellites navigate without GPS by using other spacecraft and orbital debris as reference points. During a three-day test, the system autonomously improved the known orbits of more than 200 space objects while also calculating the position of NASA’s Starling spacecraft.
NASA has demonstrated a navigation system called FALCON that allows satellites to determine their position in space without relying on GPS. The technology, developed by NASA and commercialized by EraDrive, uses other spacecraft and orbital debris as reference points. During the Starling mission, FALCON helped a spacecraft determine its own orbit and improved the estimated orbits of over 200 other space objects within three days.
This new method could make spacecraft more independent, especially in areas where GPS signals are weak or unavailable, such as around the Moon and in deep space. The FALCON experiment utilized Starling's onboard cameras and a catalog of known satellites and space objects to observe and compare positions, ultimately refining the known orbits of the observed objects.
This technology could support future lunar satellite swarms, distributed science missions, and space traffic management by providing autonomous navigation capabilities.
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