NASA expert: Can use GPS to locate on the Moon

Experts at NASA believe that we can build a miniature GPS station on the Moon to help astronauts can easily move on the surface and carry out missions.

In order for astronauts to reach the Moon in accordance with NASA's Artemis project to exploit ice at the crater near the southernmost tip of the Moon, they will need basic conditions.

In theory, we could potentially locate it on the Moon.

First they will need to find the exact location. Of course this problem has been amphibious ships and other vehicles lo. But to reach the lunar orbit or land on a lunar site, they will need to know the exact location in real time. To do this, we will obviously need something like GPS like on Earth.

The global positioning system (GPS) has completely changed our lives. Some countries are operating a large number of satellites and can help people navigate in many ways. On Earth, GPS can determine location in centimeters. But could such a system on the Moon help astronauts land more accurately?

According to Spectrum , scientists Kar-Ming Cheung and Charles Lee of NASA's Jet Engine Laboratory have done some mathematical calculations on this ability.

Theoretically mathematically is Capable . A GPS system can work correctly on the Moon. Signals from existing global navigation satellites near Earth can be used to navigate astronauts on the moon as far as 385 thousand kilometers.

The team previously presented their latest finding at the IEEE Aerospace Conference in Montana this month.

The team tried mapping the orbits of navigation satellites from Europe's Global Positioning System (GPS) and Galats and Russia's GLONASS. A total of 81 satellites. Most of these satellites have antennae that point to the Earth's surface. But their signals also spread to the surrounding space.

The researchers said the signals were strong enough for the spacecraft to read through a compact receiver near the Moon. They calculate that the spacecraft in orbit will be able to receive waves of 5-13 satellites at any given time. At this distance, accurate positioning can be up to 200-300m.

By computer simulation, the team continued to perform various methods to improve accuracy. NASA scientists believe that the moons in orbit of the Moon are like positioning beacons.

A mini GPS system is not too expensive compared to the cost of space programs.

In addition to helping the astronauts move after landing on the Moon will be more complicated because in the polar regions, the Earth will be lower on the horizon. The signal may be blocked by mountains or crater rim.

But the JPL team and colleagues at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland anticipated that. To help the astronauts, the team suggested using a transmitter located near their location as a reference point. In other words, scientists can use two satellites in the orbit of the Moon. A new transitional satellite in the moon's high orbit and operating a positioning beacon, in conjunction with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter probe, has been exploring the satellite since 2009.

A mini GPS system is not too expensive compared to the cost of space programs. But the Artemis project is postponed due to the debate regarding the project's funding. Top NASA experts have planned to build a satellite station orbiting the Moon called Gateway to help make the lunar exploration mission more feasible. But if NASA were to send humans to the Moon in 2024 as the White House announced, Gateway might have to wait until the end of this decade to complete.

However, many scientists have previously said that the plan to create a GPS system on the Moon will be very useful and serve many different missions, regardless of how we land.

Cheung concluded, "We can do it. The problem is only money."

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