This is where Moonlight comes into play. The system would likely include three navigation satellites in lunar orbit and one satellite dedicated to communications. That way, multiple satellites can ping Earth at any given time, and the system is resilient if one orbiter fails. (Because the moon has no atmosphere, satellites are more susceptible to solar storms and other space weather than GPS or Galileo systems.)
ESA and NASA already have satellites orbiting the Earth, so most of the technology needed for Moonlight is already available. But the Moon project presents its own set of challenges. For example, if you put an atomic clock on the Moon and compare it to the same one on Earth, the lunar device would advance him 56 microseconds every 24 hours. It adds up and ultimately ruins the accuracy of the navigation system.
This misalignment is caused by general relativity because the moon’s gravitational pull is low, says Patra. Technically, the ideal measurement of time comes from an atomic clock in a vacuum of space, essentially devoid of gravity. Atomic clocks on Earth are subject to the planet’s gravitational pull, but are the known norm. Lunar hours are subject to another gravitational pull that contributes an additional microsecond. Still, it’s not a big deal. Moon time shifts are predictable and can be corrected.
There is also the question of what orbits these satellites should follow. Most satellites around the Earth have circular orbits. This helps with populations that are sparse at the planet’s poles and spread throughout the mid-latitudes. But realistically, in the next 10 to 20 years most astronauts will be stationed near the South Pole of the Moon. ESA is considering placing the satellite in an elliptical orbit so it can have more time within the polar regions. The agency and its partners were then able to add satellites in different orbits for better coverage of other regions and additional ground stations for greater accuracy.
Because satellites use different frequencies (S band, about 2-2.5 MHz) than their terrestrial counterparts (L band, about 1-1.6 MHz), their signals can interfere with or jam earth-based communications. I don’t. A futuristic radio telescope on the far side of the moon.
ESA plans to launch an engineering test satellite called Lunar Pathfinder by the end of 2025, and prepare for Moonlight’s “initial operational capability” by the end of 2027, with a dedicated satellite to provide limited communications services and the first navigational ranging signals. are planning to prepare By the end of 2030, he will likely have a full constellation of four satellites operational.
And Moonlight is not alone. NASA is developing its own similar system and is working on a similar schedule. China’s space agency is also planning a satellite constellation, with several of these spacecraft to launch by the end of 2024, with the initial goal of supporting the lunar sample return mission Chang’e 6. It’s possible. The Japanese space agency is also working on one with a demonstration mission scheduled for 2028.
These initiatives will play a fundamental role in future space travel, says Ventura-Traveset. New generation spacecraft, including commercial ones, do not require complex and expensive antennas and landing systems. they can simply take advantage of these. “Over the next 10 years, there are more than 250 missions scheduled to go to the Moon,” he says. “We need this infrastructure. It will be the accelerator of the Moon’s economy.”
On a philosophical level, Nesvold says, these programs represent a sea change in the concept of time management. “Throughout most of human history, we’ve used space to tell time, whether it’s plants, stars, or the phases of the moon,” she says. “It is relatively recent that we have come up with the idea of clock technology that can work together independently of space. And now we are implementing this technology on the moon itself.”
