New Partnership Catalyzes Autonomous Lunar Navigation Breakthrough

New Partnership Catalyzes Autonomous Lunar Navigation Breakthrough
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Mar 12, 2024

ispace technologies U.S., inc. (ispace-U.S.) has teamed up with Rhea Space Activity (RSA) with a payload services agreement. This partnership, set to commence with ispace-U.S.'s Mission 3 in 2026, will introduce RSA's innovative Jervis Autonomy Module (JAM) into lunar orbit, aiming to revolutionize autonomous guidance and navigation in space.

Funded by a NASA TechFlights Program grant, JAM represents a pioneering leap in space navigation technology. Its design allows spacecraft to autonomously ascertain their positions in space by capturing images of celestial bodies, obviating the need for satellite or terrestrial communications. This capability facilitates infrequent yet precise navigational updates, utilizing as few as several lunar or planetary snapshots every twelve hours.

The collaborative effort will see ispace-U.S. deploying two of RSA's JAM units on distinct communications satellites orbiting the Moon. These satellites will maintain contact with the Apex 1.0 Lunar Lander, integrating RSA's technology with ispace-U.S.'s contributions to the Draper-coordinated Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. This initiative is tasked with transporting Artemis program scientific investigations to the Moon's far side in 2026.

Shawn Usman, RSA's CEO and esteemed astrophysicist, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, highlighting JAM's potential to enable deep space and lunar missions to independently maintain course through celestial navigation. Usman emphasized JAM's role in democratizing deep space exploration by offering an alternative to the financially daunting NASA Deep Space Network.

Ron Garan, CEO of ispace technologies U.S., underscored the significance of this partnership as the inaugural commercial rideshare arrangement in their upcoming lunar mission series. Garan anticipates hosting additional commercial payloads in future missions to further the U.S. commercial industry's lunar ambitions.

The ispace-U.S. and RSA agreement, reached in September 2023, followed appropriate regulatory disclosures, setting the stage for meticulous payload integration efforts.

Draper's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative aims for a 2026 launch to the Schrodinger Basin, delivering vital scientific equipment to investigate the Moon's geological and environmental properties.

APEX 1.0, ispace's lunar lander, will boast a 300 kg payload capacity, offering unprecedented payload delivery capabilities to the lunar surface. Its design anticipates future capacity expansions and incorporates features for versatile payload delivery, including direct-to-Earth communication support from the Moon's far side. APEX 1.0's robust design promises enhanced reliability and manufacturability, setting new standards for lunar exploration.