Raytheon Company

Planetary Science Institute

James N Head

Chris Eugene Geswender

Jody Dale Verret

Craig O Shott

David G Garrett

Karleen Seybold

Andrew Michael Wilds

Jeffrey S Klein

Gregory M Wagner

Eric M Palmer

William L Chapman

Wenkai Qin

Robin Aileen Yingst

Robert Lee Rodgers

Aladin A Sayed

Thurston Bilal

Gregory V Hoppa

Thomas G Gardner

Karen I Tsetsenekos

Stephen M Dolfini

Tomas Svitek

Systems, devices, methods, and computer-readable media for horizon-based navigation. A method can include receiving image data corresponding to a geographical region in a field of view of an imaging unit and in which the device is situated, based on the received image data, generating, by the processing unit, an image horizon corresponding to a horizon of the geographical region and from a perspective of the imaging unit, projecting three-dimensional (3D) points of a 3D point set of the geographical region to an image space of the received image data resulting in a synthetic image, generating, by the processing unit, a synthetic image horizon of the synthetic image, and responsive to determining the image horizon sufficiently correlates with the synthetic image horizon, providing a location corresponding to a perspective of the synthetic image as a location of the processing unit.

Horizon-based navigation

A distributed secured database system includes a ledger, a transmitting device, edge devices, and a time synchronization source. An evolving nonce is generated at the transmitting device and the edge devices. The evolving nonce is time-synced across the transmitting device and the edge devices. A hash value is generated at the transmitting device and the edge devices using the evolving nonce. The hash value is verified at the transmitting device and each of the edge devices during a particular time frame. A block is added to the distributed secured database system when the hash value is verified by the transmitting device and the edge devices.

Distributed secure database system using an evolving nonce

Technology for facilitating position determination is disclosed. A satellite with a known location can activate a light source on the satellite operable to emit light. The satellite can emit the light for a defined period of time to enable a receiver to detect the light and determine a geographical location using the light emitted from the satellite.

Optical navigation system

Methods and systems are provided for triaging a plurality of targets with robotic vehicle while the robotic vehicle remains at a first location. The robotic vehicle is in operable communication with a remote command station and includes a processor that is coupled to a first imager. The first imager generates separate images of each one of the plurality of targets while the robotic vehicle remains at the first location. The processor receives target data identifying the plurality of targets from the remote command station, acquires an image of each one of the plurality of targets with the first imager while the robotic vehicle remains at the first location, and transmits each generated image to the remote command station.

Systems and methods for triaging a plurality of targets with a robotic vehicle

An autonomous unmanned space flight system and planetary lander executes a discrete landing sequence including performing an initial velocity braking maneuver to remove velocity at altitude, coasting during which the planet surface is imaged and correlated to reference maps to estimate cross-track and along-track navigation errors and one or more lateral braking maneuvers are performed to reduce cross-track navigation error, and performing a terminal velocity braking maneuver(s) to reduce the along-track braking maneuver and remove the remainder of the velocity just prior to landing. A bi-propellant propulsion system provides a very high T/M ratio, at least 15:1 per nozzle. Short, high T/M divert maneuvers provide the capability to remove cross-track navigation error efficiently up to the maximum resolution of the reference maps. Short, high T/M terminal velocity braking maneuver(s) provide the capability to remove along-track navigation error to a similar resolution and remove the remaining velocity in a very short time window, approximately 3-15 seconds prior to touchdown. The propulsive efficiency frees up mass which can be allocated to a fuel to remove the unknown navigation errors, perform hazard avoidance and/or relocate the lander by flying it to another site or be allocated to additional payload.

Autonomous space flight system and planetary lander for executing a discrete landing sequence to remove unknown navigation error, perform hazard avoidance and relocate the lander and method

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Tucson, AZ, United States of America

James N Head