Positioning for the Chang'E-3 lander and rover using Earth-based observations

Abstract

The Chinese first lunar lander, Chang'E-3, performed a lunar soft-landing on 14 Dec, 2013. Precise positioning for the lander and rover was the most important precondition and guarantee for a successful lunar surface exploration. In this study, first, the tracking system, measurement models and positioning method are discussed in detail. Second, the location of the CE-3 lander was determined: 44.1206°N,-19.5124°E,-2632 m (altitude was relative to the assumed lunar surface with a height of 1737.4 km), and the analysis showed the VLBI (Very Long Base Interferometry) data were able to significantly improve the positioning accuracy. Furthermore, the positioning error was evaluated in various ways; the result was better than 50 m. Finally, the relative positioning of the rover and lander using earth-based observations was studied and compared with the optical positioning method using photographs taken by the lander and rover. The method applied in this study was not limited by the visible range of the lander, and the relative positioning accuracy did not decrease as the distance between the lander and rover increased. The results indicated that under the current tracking and measuring conditions, the relative positioning accuracy was about 100 m using the same beam VLBI group delay data with anosecond level noise. Furthermore, using the same beam VLBI phase delay data with picosecond level noise it was possible to significantly improve the relative positioning accuracy to the order of 1 m.