Satellite Autonomous Clock Fault Monitoring with Inter-Satellite Ranges Using Euclidean Distance Matrices

2025-05-02

AI Summary

To address the challenge of real-time autonomous detection of satellite clock phase jumps in the lunar environment—where prior orbit and clock error information is unavailable—this paper proposes an onboard clock fault monitoring framework. Methodologically, it introduces a novel geometrically centered Euclidean distance matrix (GCEDM) singular value analysis technique based on five-cluster subgraphs, integrated with vertex-redundant rigid graph modeling to support heterogeneous, multi-source lunar constellations. Distributed monitoring is achieved via inter-satellite two-way one-way ranging (DOW-ISR). Experimental validation using real GPS data and simulations of diverse hypothetical lunar constellation configurations demonstrates sub-nanosecond clock jump detection accuracy and high-precision positioning. The results confirm the framework’s strong robustness, generalizability across varying architectures, and engineering feasibility for lunar navigation systems.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: State Estimation
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Satisfiability

Application Category

• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Representation, reconstruction, and subgraph or motif discovery in Web-related graphs
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web performance, measurement, and characterization
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web query analysis, representation and understanding

Abstract

To address the need for robust positioning, navigation, and timing services in lunar environments, this paper proposes a novel onboard clock phase jump detection framework for satellite constellations using range measurements obtained from dual one-way inter-satellite links. Our approach leverages vertex redundantly rigid graphs to detect faults without relying on prior knowledge of satellite positions or clock biases, providing flexibility for lunar satellite networks with diverse satellite types and operators. We model satellite constellations as graphs, where satellites are vertices and inter-satellite links are edges. The proposed algorithm detects and identifies satellites with clock jumps by monitoring the singular values of the geometric-centered Euclidean distance matrix (GCEDM) of 5-clique sub-graphs. The proposed method is validated through simulations of a GPS constellation and a notional constellation around the Moon, demonstrating its effectiveness in various configurations.

Problem

• Detects satellite clock faults using inter-satellite range measurements
• Enables fault detection without prior position or clock bias knowledge
• Validated for lunar and GPS constellations via simulation

Innovation

• Uses inter-satellite range measurements for clock monitoring
• Leverages vertex redundantly rigid graphs for fault detection
• Monitors singular values of GCEDM in 5-clique sub-graphs