Design Method of Lunar Integrated Communication and Navigation Constellation Based on Recurrent Orbit

Abstract

Existing lunar constellation designs consider communication and navigation functions separately，failing to effectively utilize integrated communication-navigation technologies to reduce the overall cost of constellation design. A novel method for designing lunar constellations based on recurrent orbit was proposed，utilizing a multi-objective optimization framework that concurrently evaluates coverage multiplicity，communication performance，and navigation accuracy constraints through a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm. The optimization results show that，with 12 lunar recurrent satellites，an average Positioning Dilution of Precision (PDOP) of less than 7 across the entire lunar surface and full-time triple coverage in mid-to-high latitudes can be achieved. The proposed scheme can provide high-speed communication and high-precision positioning and navigation services that are both cost-effective and technologically advantageous for future lunar exploration activities，while demonstrating the potential of integrated communication-navigation technologies in reducing system costs.

Keywords

constellation design / recurrent orbit / communication-navigation integration / non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm