NASA RASC-AL Competition- W.A.R.P.
Faculty Mentor Name
Davide Conte
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
The Women in Autonomous Relay Positioning (W.A.R.P.) project aims to develop a practical solution to a challenge posed by NASA’s RASC-AL 2026 competition. As future missions plan for longer and more complex operations on Mars, reliable systems are needed to support communication and navigation. This project aims to design “a modular, scalable Communications, Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (C.P.N.T.) architecture to robustly support interoperable surface operations on Mars while minimizing system-level complexity, mass, power, and operational constraints on individual assets”. Since October 2025, the W.A.R.P. team has been working on the technical proposal of a system that can support these missions.
To achieve this goal, the team is developing a comprehensive mission design that spans the full lifecycle of the system, from deployment to decommissioning. The project focuses on systems that enable C.P.N.T. architectures. To manage the scope of the project and encourage focused research, the overall architecture is divided into ten subsystems: Launch Vehicles, Propulsion, Electric Power Systems, Thermal Control System, Communications & Payload, Ground Control, Structures, Orbits, Guidance & Navigation & Control, and Telemetry Control & Data Handling. The proposed solution consists of a network of 20 satellites that are deployed in orbit around Mars.
If selected as a finalist in the NASA RASC-AL competition, the team will design and build a prototype to support the architecture outlined in our final proposal. The quality and capability of the prototype weigh heavily in project evaluation. Beyond tangible outcomes, the project is expected to contribute to the broader field of space systems research. Exploring scalable, modular approaches to Mars’ surface infrastructure will supply NASA with an innovative solution for future space exploration. In addition to advancing technical understanding, the project will provide significant educational benefits by giving team members hands-on experience in teamwork, problem-solving, and the end-to-end process of space mission design.
NASA RASC-AL Competition- W.A.R.P.
The Women in Autonomous Relay Positioning (W.A.R.P.) project aims to develop a practical solution to a challenge posed by NASA’s RASC-AL 2026 competition. As future missions plan for longer and more complex operations on Mars, reliable systems are needed to support communication and navigation. This project aims to design “a modular, scalable Communications, Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (C.P.N.T.) architecture to robustly support interoperable surface operations on Mars while minimizing system-level complexity, mass, power, and operational constraints on individual assets”. Since October 2025, the W.A.R.P. team has been working on the technical proposal of a system that can support these missions.
To achieve this goal, the team is developing a comprehensive mission design that spans the full lifecycle of the system, from deployment to decommissioning. The project focuses on systems that enable C.P.N.T. architectures. To manage the scope of the project and encourage focused research, the overall architecture is divided into ten subsystems: Launch Vehicles, Propulsion, Electric Power Systems, Thermal Control System, Communications & Payload, Ground Control, Structures, Orbits, Guidance & Navigation & Control, and Telemetry Control & Data Handling. The proposed solution consists of a network of 20 satellites that are deployed in orbit around Mars.
If selected as a finalist in the NASA RASC-AL competition, the team will design and build a prototype to support the architecture outlined in our final proposal. The quality and capability of the prototype weigh heavily in project evaluation. Beyond tangible outcomes, the project is expected to contribute to the broader field of space systems research. Exploring scalable, modular approaches to Mars’ surface infrastructure will supply NASA with an innovative solution for future space exploration. In addition to advancing technical understanding, the project will provide significant educational benefits by giving team members hands-on experience in teamwork, problem-solving, and the end-to-end process of space mission design.