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GPS on Mars?
Roland Piquepaille writes "SPACE.com published two days ago an article named "Red Planet Wayfinder: A GPS System for Mars." You'll read that NASA researchers are studying a 'global positioning satellite (GPS) system around Mars that could also function as a communications network.' This would imply 'a constellation of microsatellites, or Microsats, and one or more relatively large Mars Aerostationary Relay Satellites, or MARSats,' according to the Mars Network website at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This sounds like a neat idea, but there are several issues here. First, the JPL site mentioned above has not been updated since 1999. Then, there is no mention of such a mission at NASA's Mars exploration program website. So, here is my question: is this a recycled 4-year old article? In this overview, you'll find some spectacular images and more indications leading to think that the article was written in 2000. And please note that a Slashdot reader asked last December 'Whatever Happened To The Mars Network?' without receiving an adequate answer."
Would the cost really be worth it? I don't really see much indication in the article that it'd give us any great advantages for the cost. Still, it's an awfully neat idea... I wonder if my Garmin will work if I someday get to take that incredible excursion. :)
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I read an idea awhile back about making GPS receivers that could tune to the different frequencies of pulsars and use those to figure location.
The theory behind it is that the pulses are very accurately predictable, and that they could be used just like the clock pulses coming from GPS satellites. Why not develop something like this instead of spending a ton of money to put up a new satellite network.
I realize the satellite network could be used for other things also, but if they are looking for coordinate data, the pulsars are already there and all that would be needed would be to design a receiver.
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now that we have 2 planets with sats, could we use that to start a solare system position system, just put a gps system around venus and Mercury we now have 4 points to work with, so we can get our 3d postion in the solar system
Basically from what I can tell the story is just a recycled news bit. Nasa only has 1 telecommunication orbiter scheduled for Mars in 2009, and that it is. There simply is not enough volume with mars landers to warrant a GPS system (why put up 6 satellites that would only support 2-3 landers that have a limited lifespan?) In a related matter, Amsat (the ham radio satellite people) also have planned a Mars communications relay satellite called P5-A which would launch about the same time as the Nasa one (and probably cost significantly less) IMHO a Mars GPS/Communications system would be a great test case for those cash prizes they have talked about giving out.
It might interest you to know that after a *LOT* of complaining from the Americans, Europe has given in and changed the design of their propsed GPS system to allow the Americans to jam it if the want. Happilly America never needs to go to war with Europe since they can always get their quota of dead people through friendly fire...
http://blog.nexusuk.org
The Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (MTO) shows up in detailed papers concerning the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover updated in the last few months, so apparently it's still on the books. The microsat thing is harder to come by.
More interestingly, the next big rover after MSL is called MBL, or Mars Biology Laboratory. This would carry more life science gear than ten Viking probes, and rove around for over two earth years!
Well, your point is a good one. However, NASA has been toying with the idea of lauching a solar-powered airplane on Mars that would fly around in the atmosphere. A Mars GPS system would obvioulsy be beneficial to such a project.