Crosslink Transceiver for Integrated Navigation and Communication Among Multiple, Distributed Spacecraft

Reference#: P01736

A significant number of Earth and space science goals rely on the successful deployment and operation of distributed spacecraft technology. In conjunction with fundamental science, distributed spacecraft military missions have been identified as important capabilities to maintain national interests. Realizing the advantages of distributed spacecraft systems, however, entails considerable complexity in system design and implementation. It is not simply that multiple spacecrafts may be deployed that indicates advantageous performance, capability, robustness, or cost efficiencies can be achieved. Coordinated formations require that technologies and methodologies provide mechanisms to support information exchange, coordination, autonomy, and dynamic adaptivity.

The APL Crosslink Transceiver provides a system that enables spacecrafts within in a distributed spacecraft system to communicate science and coordination information to determine relative position, velocity and time for command and control operations, and to operate in a coordinated manner to achieve common mission goals (e.g., interferometry, co-observation, implementing a synthetic sensing aperture, multipoint observation, etc.).

Patent Status: U.S. patent(s) 6721658 issued.

*JHU/APL is seeking an exclusive licensee and development partner for this technology

Additional References:

Link to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office