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The new technology promises to simplify deep space exploration.
A new era of navigation has arrived in the world of space exploration. NASA has developed the software GIANT (Goddard Image Analysis and Navigation Tool), a groundbreaking optical navigation tool that can dramatically change the way space missions are planned and conducted.
Navigation in space is a complex task that requires accurate determination of the trajectory to the target, constant monitoring of the position of the spacecraft and course adjustment. So far, NASA has used the Deep Space Network's antennas to track the spacecraft's location, using radio signals to calculate their speed and distance from Earth.
GIANT, on the other hand, uses images taken from cameras, lidars, and other sensors to determine the best driving path, similar to how humans use vision to navigate in space. The software can determine the distance to the object, the mass and center of the rotating object, as well as identify landmarks on the surface of celestial bodies.GIANT can also create three-dimensional maps of potential landing zones, identifying possible hazards.
During the mission, OSIRIS-REx GIANT was used as an auxiliary navigation tool, allowing you to double check the decisions of the main system and evaluate the trajectory of particles rising from the asteroid surface and potential threats to the spacecraft.
Now the team working on GIANT is actively improving the software, releasing an open version for public use and a simplified version of cGIANT, which was integrated with Goddard's software for offline navigation and management.
The goal of the project is to make optical navigation a standard in the field of space research. It can be used in both small and large space missions, including robot-controlled and manned spacecraft. In the future, spacecraft equipped with autonomous optical navigation systems will be able to independently determine their position and correct their course, focusing on the stars, the Sun and other objects in the Solar System.
The advantages of this approach are numerous: mission trajectory planning, which previously took at least three months, can now be completed in a week. In addition, it reduces the need to transfer large amounts of data between the Earth and the spacecraft, which reduces the cost-an important criterion, especially for small missions. The number of ground teams involved in orbit determination and navigation is also reduced.
At the moment, NASA is considering using GIANT to process data from the Cassini mission, which can help advance understanding of the interaction between Saturn and its moons.
Time will tell what wonders the GIANT navigation solution will reveal. Unfortunately, there is no official schedule for the full implementation of the system in real space missions yet.
A new era of navigation has arrived in the world of space exploration. NASA has developed the software GIANT (Goddard Image Analysis and Navigation Tool), a groundbreaking optical navigation tool that can dramatically change the way space missions are planned and conducted.
Navigation in space is a complex task that requires accurate determination of the trajectory to the target, constant monitoring of the position of the spacecraft and course adjustment. So far, NASA has used the Deep Space Network's antennas to track the spacecraft's location, using radio signals to calculate their speed and distance from Earth.
GIANT, on the other hand, uses images taken from cameras, lidars, and other sensors to determine the best driving path, similar to how humans use vision to navigate in space. The software can determine the distance to the object, the mass and center of the rotating object, as well as identify landmarks on the surface of celestial bodies.GIANT can also create three-dimensional maps of potential landing zones, identifying possible hazards.
During the mission, OSIRIS-REx GIANT was used as an auxiliary navigation tool, allowing you to double check the decisions of the main system and evaluate the trajectory of particles rising from the asteroid surface and potential threats to the spacecraft.
Now the team working on GIANT is actively improving the software, releasing an open version for public use and a simplified version of cGIANT, which was integrated with Goddard's software for offline navigation and management.
The goal of the project is to make optical navigation a standard in the field of space research. It can be used in both small and large space missions, including robot-controlled and manned spacecraft. In the future, spacecraft equipped with autonomous optical navigation systems will be able to independently determine their position and correct their course, focusing on the stars, the Sun and other objects in the Solar System.
The advantages of this approach are numerous: mission trajectory planning, which previously took at least three months, can now be completed in a week. In addition, it reduces the need to transfer large amounts of data between the Earth and the spacecraft, which reduces the cost-an important criterion, especially for small missions. The number of ground teams involved in orbit determination and navigation is also reduced.
At the moment, NASA is considering using GIANT to process data from the Cassini mission, which can help advance understanding of the interaction between Saturn and its moons.
Time will tell what wonders the GIANT navigation solution will reveal. Unfortunately, there is no official schedule for the full implementation of the system in real space missions yet.
