MARSNAVCOM is a study aimed at prototyping key technologies for a Mars positioning and communication system using Small Satellites.
The proposed fleet of small satellites, Mars Comms/Nav, will provide services to Mars missions by allowing Earth-Mars data relay communication and localization services reducing complexity, weight and costs of the payloads and outsourcing the operations and logistics. This will ultimately de-risk Mars missions and attract new initiatives to Mars.
DEIMOS is involved in all mission phases of the study from the Earth-Mars transfer Trajectory Analysis, the design of the end-to-end system architecture (including Space, Ground Segment and operations concept) fulfilling the mission requirements, the sizing of the Mars Comms/Nav system to fulfil communications relay and Navigation Service requirements, the orbit analysis, the system performance analysis, the definition of the ground station coverage optimization, up to the study of the navigation architecture and its integration with the Communications Network.
The activity is funded by ESA and led by Argotec.
Mars Comms/Nav will provide services to Mars missions by allowing Earth-Mars data relay communication and localization services