The Joint Milli-Arcsecond Pathfinder Survey (JMAPS): Mission Overview and Attitude Sensing Applications

TL;DR

JMAPS is a space-based astrometric survey aiming to update star positions with milliarcsecond accuracy and demonstrate advanced attitude sensing for applications like formation flying and solar system navigation.

Contribution

The paper presents the design and expected performance of JMAPS, highlighting its unprecedented attitude determination accuracy and new capabilities for space navigation.

Findings

Achieves 1 milliarcsecond star position accuracy

Demonstrates 10 milliarcsecond attitude determination

Enables long-distance formation flying and navigation

Abstract

The Joint Milliarcsecond Pathfinder Survey (JMAPS) is a Department of Navy bright star astrometric all-sky survey scheduled for launch in the 2012 timeframe. Mission objectives include a complete update of star positions for the 2015 epoch to accuracy levels of 1 milliarcsecond (5 nano-radians) for bright stars, as well as demonstration of 10 milliarcsecond attitude determination capability and 50 milli-arcsecond attitude control on-orbit. In the following paper, we describe the general instrument design and expected performance. We also discuss the new mission capabilities enabled by the unprecedented attitude determination accuracy of such an instrument, and focus specifically on the application to long distance (50,000-100,00 km) formation flying and solar system navigation.