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Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation
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Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Aerospace Science and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2025) | Viewed by 8837

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mingzhen Gui

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Automation, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: autonomous navigation direction of deep space probe
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jin Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Information Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, China
Interests: autonomous navigation direction of deep space probe
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Chengxi Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Professor, School of Internet of Things Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214082, China
Interests: robotics and control; intelligent planning and applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mingzhe Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Automation, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: multi-agent collaborative control; sampling control; spacecraft attitude control; spacecraft formation control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Deep space exploration expands human understanding of the universe and promotes the progress of space technology. It has been an important indicator of a country's comprehensive strength and technology level. Effective navigation is an important prerequisite for ensuring the success of deep space exploration missions. With the continuous expansion of detection range, the demand for real-time, high-precision and high-reliability navigation is also increasing. In this Special Issue, “Advances in Research on Deep Space Probe Navigation”, we aim to bring together researchers and practitioners to explore the latest developments in deep space probe navigation, and to present a collection of papers that address the challenges and opportunities in these fields. We invite submissions from academia and industry on theoretical and practical aspects related to deep space probe navigation. We also welcome articles on other topics related to aerospace systems, such as space perception and control themes.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following items:

  • Navigation and orbit determination;
  • Navigation and orbit determination for distributed constellations;
  • Instrumentation and measurement systems in navigation;
  • Theory, methodology, and practice of measurement in navigation;
  • Multi-sensor fusion for spacecraft systems;
  • Real-time orbit determination and prediction;
  • Autonomous aerospace systems, perception, and control.

Dr. Mingzhen Gui
Prof. Dr. Jin Liu
Dr. Chengxi Zhang
Dr. Mingzhe Dai
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • deep space probe
  • autonomous navigation
  • integrated navigation
  • celestial navigation
  • pulsar navigation

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

6 pages, 166 KiB  
Editorial
Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation
by Mingzhen Gui, Jin Liu, Chengxi Zhang and Ming-Zhe Dai
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 3307; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15063307 - 18 Mar 2025
Viewed by 256
Abstract
Deep space exploration, generally referring to the space exploration activities targeting the Moon and more distant extraterrestrial celestial bodies, stands as a critical indicator of a nation’s comprehensive capabilities and technological prowess [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 2211 KiB  
Article
X-ray Pulsar-Based Navigation Using Pulse Phase Delay between Spacecraft and Verification with Real Data
by Kun Jiang, Yusong Wang, Hui Yang and Hong Yuan
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(15), 6401; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156401 - 23 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1645
Abstract
Pulsars are neutron stars with high rotation speeds and have extraordinary long-term rotational stability. X-ray pulsar-based navigation (XNAV) is a navigation method that estimates the position and velocity of a spacecraft using the X-ray radiation from pulsars. Flight experiments on Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation [...] Read more.
Pulsars are neutron stars with high rotation speeds and have extraordinary long-term rotational stability. X-ray pulsar-based navigation (XNAV) is a navigation method that estimates the position and velocity of a spacecraft using the X-ray radiation from pulsars. Flight experiments on Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT) and Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) have successfully verified the feasibility of using XNAV for a single spacecraft. For spacecraft in formation, a pulsar-based navigation method that uses the pulse phase delay between spacecraft is derived. Moreover, a direct estimation method for pulse phase delay, which is independent from the pulsar template, is proposed. The proposed method is verified with simulation data of the Crab pulsar and real data of the same pulsar obtained from Insight-HXMT and NICER. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation)
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20 pages, 6636 KiB  
Article
Three-Dimensional Guidance Laws for Spacecraft Propelled by a SWIFT Propulsion System
by Alessandro A. Quarta
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(13), 5944; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14135944 - 8 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 978
Abstract
This paper discusses the optimal control law, in a three-dimensional (3D) heliocentric orbit transfer, of a spacecraft whose primary propulsion system is a Solar Wind Ion Focusing Thruster (SWIFT). A SWIFT is an interesting concept of a propellantless thruster, proposed ten years ago [...] Read more.
This paper discusses the optimal control law, in a three-dimensional (3D) heliocentric orbit transfer, of a spacecraft whose primary propulsion system is a Solar Wind Ion Focusing Thruster (SWIFT). A SWIFT is an interesting concept of a propellantless thruster, proposed ten years ago by Gemmer and Mazzoleni, which deflects, collects, and accelerates the charged particles of solar wind to generate thrust in the interplanetary space. To this end, the SWIFT uses a large conical structure made of thin metallic wires, which is positively charged with the aid of an electron gun. In this sense, a SWIFT can be considered as a sort of evolution of the Janhunen’s E-Sail, which also uses a (nominally flat) mesh of electrically charged tethers to deflect the solar wind stream. In the recent literature, the optimal performance of a SWIFT-based vehicle has been studied by assuming a coplanar orbit transfer and a two-dimensional scenario. The mathematical model proposed in this paper extends that result by discussing the optimal guidance laws in the general context of a 3D heliocentric transfer. In this regard, a number of different forms of the spacecraft state vectors are considered. The validity of the obtained optimal control law is tested in a simplified Earth–Venus and Earth–Mars transfer by comparing the simulation results with the literature data in terms of minimum flight time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation)
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16 pages, 884 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Phase Comparison Planar Direction-Finding Algorithm on Satellite Radio Receiver
by Zhongzhen Wu, Mingyang Mao, Jiawei Xiong, Ziyang Zhao and Kai Yuan
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 3400; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14083400 - 17 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1070
Abstract
This paper proposes a dynamic phase comparison algorithm for planar direction finding on a high-speed moving satellite radio receiver, treating the moving antenna as equivalent to single-baseline array antennas. Based on a phase interferometer algorithm, this algorithm adjusts the baseline length according to [...] Read more.
This paper proposes a dynamic phase comparison algorithm for planar direction finding on a high-speed moving satellite radio receiver, treating the moving antenna as equivalent to single-baseline array antennas. Based on a phase interferometer algorithm, this algorithm adjusts the baseline length according to the frequency measurement module and the satellite’s high-speed motion to avoid phase ambiguity indirectly. By integrating the traditional amplitude comparison algorithm based on orthogonal dipole antennas, a dynamic fusion direction-finding method is proposed. Simulations demonstrate that this approach method not only covers a broader range of direction finding but also achieves higher accuracy, providing valuable insights for acquiring three-dimensional plasmagrams with space-borne plasma imagers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation)
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23 pages, 2220 KiB  
Article
Oryctolagus Cuniculus Algorithm and Its Application in the Inversion Method of Asteroid Spectra Reflectance Template
by Dian Jin, Jin Liu, Zhiwei Kang, Xin Ma and Zijun Zhang
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(20), 11188; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132011188 - 11 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1166
Abstract
To improve the global optimization ability and convergence speed of the swarm intelligence algorithm, we proposed a new swarm intelligence optimization algorithm, namely the Oryctolagus cuniculus algorithm. This includes five mechanisms: the determination of safety zones, the cave escape, the agglomeration of Oryctolagus [...] Read more.
To improve the global optimization ability and convergence speed of the swarm intelligence algorithm, we proposed a new swarm intelligence optimization algorithm, namely the Oryctolagus cuniculus algorithm. This includes five mechanisms: the determination of safety zones, the cave escape, the agglomeration of Oryctolagus cuniculi, the maintenance of the Oryctolagus cuniculus king, and the zone competition. Each solution is represented by each Oryctolagus cuniculus’s position (including zone number and specific location number). The grass density and safety index at the location of the Oryctolagus cuniculus represents its fitness value. The determination of safety zones implies that predators such as eagles hunt Oryctolagus cuniculi in dangerous zones, and the zone without predators is considered a safety zone. The cave escape refers to the act of Oryctolagus cuniculi using a connected cave system to flee from a dangerous zone and reach a secure zone, thereby evading potential predators. We select the Oryctolagus cuniculus with higher fitness values as the king of each zone, and the Oryctolagus cuniculi gather towards the Oryctolagus cuniculus king. This mechanism ensures that Oryctolagus cuniculus mainly searches in zones with abundant grass and quickly finds the optimal solution. In the maintenance of the Oryctolagus cuniculus king, we choose the one with higher fitness values as the Oryctolagus cuniculus king. Zone competition is induced by an increase in the number of Oryctolagus cuniculi in zones with abundant grass by ordering the fitness values of each zone, and vice versa. We apply the Oryctolagus cuniculus algorithm to the inversion method of the asteroid spectra reflectance template. The experimental results show that compared with artificial rabbit optimization, this algorithm has a faster rate of convergence and better solution, effectively screens the reflectance template, and improves the Doppler difference velocimetry accuracy. In addition, the application of the Oryctolagus cuniculus algorithm to the knapsack problem also performs effectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation)
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20 pages, 6426 KiB  
Article
Circular Orbit Flip Trajectories Generated by E-Sail
by Alessandro A. Quarta, Marco Bassetto and Giovanni Mengali
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(18), 10281; https://doi.org/10.3390/app131810281 - 13 Sep 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1230
Abstract
An Electric Solar Wind Sail (E-sail) is a propellantless propulsion concept that extracts momentum from the high-speed solar wind stream to generate thrust. This paper investigates the performance of such a propulsion system in obtaining the transition from a prograde to a retrograde [...] Read more.
An Electric Solar Wind Sail (E-sail) is a propellantless propulsion concept that extracts momentum from the high-speed solar wind stream to generate thrust. This paper investigates the performance of such a propulsion system in obtaining the transition from a prograde to a retrograde motion. The spacecraft is assumed to initially trace a circular heliocentric orbit of given radius. This particular trajectory, referred to as Circular Orbit Flip Trajectory (COFT), is analyzed in a two-dimensional mission scenario, by exploiting the capability of a medium-high performance E-sail to change the spacecraft angular momentum vector during its motion in the interplanetary space. More precisely, the paper describes a procedure to evaluate the E-sail optimal performance in a set of COFTs, by calculating their minimum flight times as a function of the sail reference propulsive acceleration. It is shown that a two-dimensional COFT can be generated by means of a simple steering law in which the E-sail nominal plane has a nearly fixed attitude with respect to an orbital reference system, for most of the time interval of the interplanetary transfer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation)
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19 pages, 1626 KiB  
Article
Solar Sail Transfer Trajectory Design for Comet 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 1 Rendezvous
by Alessandro A. Quarta, Karim Abu Salem and Giuseppe Palaia
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(17), 9590; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13179590 - 24 Aug 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1488
Abstract
The goal of this paper is to analyze the optimal transfer towards the periodic comet 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 1 of a solar sail-based spacecraft. This periodic and active comet is an interesting and still unexplored small body that has been regarded as an object of [...] Read more.
The goal of this paper is to analyze the optimal transfer towards the periodic comet 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 1 of a solar sail-based spacecraft. This periodic and active comet is an interesting and still unexplored small body that has been regarded as an object of the Centaurs group. In this work, a classical (heliocentric) orbit-to-orbit transfer is studied from an optimal viewpoint, by finding the spacecraft trajectories that minimize the flight time for a given value of the solar sail characteristic acceleration, that is, the typical performance parameter of a photonic sail. In particular, the optimal Earth–comet transfer is studied both in a typical three-dimensional mission scenario and with a simplified two-dimensional approach, whose aim is to rapidly obtain an accurate estimation of the minimum flight time with a reduced computation cost. The numerical simulations illustrate the mission performance, in terms of the characteristics of the rapid transfer trajectory, as a function of the typical propulsive parameter and the solar sail thrust model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Deep Space Probe Navigation)
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