Vision-based navigation in low Earth orbit – Using the stars and horizon as an alternative PNT

Critchley-Marrows, Joshua; Mortari, Daniele

doi:10.1016/j.asr.2023.01.047

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The sextant is an ancient tool for navigation, and in the early days of the space race, it was considered to be one of the primary sources of positioning by astronauts [38]. Modern techniques have vastly improved its performance and applicability [11,39], being treated in both cislunar and Earth orbits. The application of the techniques developed are treated for the lunar context.…”

Section: Horizon Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These two expressions can be related to the sensor position r, measured from the ellipsoid origin, by p = ds + r where d is some scalar multiplier. These two functions can be then simplified by an approach given in [39] to…”

Section: Horizon Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Kalman Filter has been well-developed in the literature [39,[67][68][69], starting in the 1960s and extensively used across many positioning and navigation scenarios. The basic equations are provided for the sake of completeness.…”

Section: Kalman Filter Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Autonomous and Earth-Independent Orbit Determination for a Lunar Navigation Satellite System

Critchley-Marrows,

Wu,

Kawabata

et al. 2024

Aerospace

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In recent years, the number of expected missions to the Moon has increased significantly. With limited terrestrial-based infrastructure to support this number of missions, as well as restricted visibility over intended mission areas, there is a need for space navigation system autonomy. Autonomous on-board navigation systems in the lunar environment have been the subject of study by a number of authors. Suggested systems include optical navigation, high-sensitivity Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, and navigation-linked formation flying. This paper studies the interoperable nature and fusion of proposed autonomous navigation systems that are independent of Earth infrastructure, given challenges in distance and visibility. This capability is critically important for safe and resilient mission architectures. The proposed elliptical frozen orbits of lunar navigation satellite systems will be of special interest, investigating the derivation of orbit determination by non-terrestrial sources utilizing celestial observations and inter-satellite links. Potential orbit determination performances around 100 m are demonstrated, highlighting the potential of the approach for future lunar navigation infrastructure.

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Section: Horizon Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Horizon Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Autonomous and Earth-Independent Orbit Determination for a Lunar Navigation Satellite System

Critchley-Marrows,

Wu,

Kawabata

et al. 2024

Aerospace

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“…This section provides an introduction to the interpretation of the ocean horizon using the conventions presented in [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. These are presented in the context of the marine environment.…”

Section: Horizon Models and Interpretationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Return to the Sextant—Maritime Navigation Using Celestial Bodies and the Horizon

Critchley-Marrows

Mortari

2023

Sensors

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Satellite navigation over recent decades has become the default and, in some cases, sole source of positioning for maritime vessels. The classic sextant has been all but forgotten by a significant number of ship navigators. However, recent risks to RF-derived positioning by jamming and spoofing have resurfaced the need to train sailors again in the art. Innovations in space optical navigation have long been perfecting the art of using celestial bodies and horizons to determine a space vessel’s attitude and position. This paper explores their application to the much older ship navigation problem. Models are introduced that utilize the stars and horizon to derive latitude and longitude. When assuming good star visibility conditions on the ocean, the accuracy delivered is at the 100 m level. This can meet requirements for ship navigation in coastal and oceanic voyages.

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An architecture for a visual-based PNT alternative

Critchley-Marrows

Cairns

2023

Acta Astronautica

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Vision-based navigation in low Earth orbit – Using the stars and horizon as an alternative PNT

Cited by 4 publications

References 15 publications

Autonomous and Earth-Independent Orbit Determination for a Lunar Navigation Satellite System

Autonomous and Earth-Independent Orbit Determination for a Lunar Navigation Satellite System

A Return to the Sextant—Maritime Navigation Using Celestial Bodies and the Horizon

An architecture for a visual-based PNT alternative

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