China's space authorities are planning to develop a lunar satellite constellation called Queqiao to support their deep space missions, including future lunar surface research stations. The constellation would consist of spacecraft stationed in circumlunar space and Earth-moon lagrange points, providing crucial support for communication, navigation, and remote sensing services. China has already launched a communications relay satellite into Earth-moon Lagrange point 2 (EML2) and plans to launch an improved version, Queqiao-2, next year. The development of this lunar infrastructure could position China as a global leader in moon exploration and beyond, but it may also raise concerns among other space actors.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a concept for a flock of robots that can explore subsurface regions on Mars, including caves and lava vents, by following "breadcrumbs" inspired by the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. The robots would be linked by a communications network allowing them to work independently or as a team, all without direction from humans. The system, fittingly named the Breadcrumb-Style Dynamically Deployed Communication Network paradigm (DDCN), enables constant data transmission as each robot in the flock stays in touch with "mother" even in convoluted and complex environments.
Lockheed Martin has launched a subsidiary called Crescent Space Services LLC to provide communication and navigation services around the Moon for future lunar missions. The company will operate its own network of satellites in lunar orbit to support spacecraft on and around the Moon, enabling uninterrupted communication between Earth and the lunar missions. The first satellites are projected to launch in 2025. Lockheed Martin is anticipating a slew of upcoming missions to the Moon that would require its subsidiary’s services, with the company essentially creating an operational communication and navigation network similar to cell-phone services on Earth.
Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a communication network that would allow a flock of robots to explore subsurface environments on other worlds. The system, called the "Breadcrumb-Style Dynamically Deployed Communication Network" paradigm, or DDCN, would link rovers, lake landers, and even submersible vehicles through a mesh topology network, allowing the machines to work together as a team, independently from human input. The approach could help address one of NASA’s Space Technology Grand Challenges by helping overcome the limited ability of current technology to safely traverse environments on comets, asteroids, moons and planetary bodies.
Engineers at the University of Arizona have developed a communication network system that could allow autonomous rovers to explore caves and other underground features on Mars to scout out habitats for astronauts. The system involves a "mesh topology network" that links different types of rover vehicles, which would deploy communication nodes along the way, just like Hansel and Gretel leave a trail of breadcrumbs. The rovers would continuously monitor their environment and maintain awareness of where they are in space, allowing them to navigate underground environments without ever losing contact with their "mother rover" on the surface.
