Celestial Aided Navigation
Overview
Honeywell’s Celestial Aided Navigation (CNAV) system delivers precise geolocation in GPS-denied or GPS-disrupted environments. By using a star tracker to measure angular distances between stars and Resident Space Objects (RSOs), CNAV provides autonomous, infrastructure-free navigation that is both passive and highly resilient.
Key Benefits
Honeywell + Ball Aerospace Advantages
Part of a Layered Navigation Strategy
Celestial Aided Navigation is a critical component of Honeywell’s Alternative Navigation Suite, which also includes:
Honeywell’s Alternative Navigation Architecture
Enables seamless integration of Celestial Aided Navigation with other resilient modalities, providing a unified framework for autonomous, infrastructure-free positioning in GPS-denied environments. By supporting star tracker and RSO-based inputs, HANA ensures CNAV delivers GPS-like accuracy with passive, jamming resistant performance across air, land, and maritime domains.
Key Benefits
- GPS-Denied Assurance: Delivers true absolute position fixes without reliance on GNSS, ensuring mission continuity in contested or degraded environments.
- Day/Night, over-water Operation: Operates over oceans with reversionary stars-only mode for maximum flexibility.
- Passive and Secure: Immune to jamming, spoofing, or detection—ideal for stealth and survivability.
- Autonomous Functionality: Requires no external infrastructure or communication links.
- High Accuracy: Demonstrated performance of <25m CEP50 in RSO-aided mode and <1 km in stars-only mode
Honeywell + Ball Aerospace Advantages
- Honeywell Advanced Navigation Software: Seamlessly integrates celestial data into host navigation systems.
- Advanced Optical Design: Proven star tracker technology with 0.25 arc-second source knowledge.
- Environmental Calibration: Maintains spatial accuracy across pressure and temperature variations.
- Manufacturing Excellence: High standards of reliability, maintainability, and platform adaptability.
Part of a Layered Navigation Strategy
Celestial Aided Navigation is a critical component of Honeywell’s Alternative Navigation Suite, which also includes:
- Vision Aided Navigation
- Magnetic Anomaly Aided Navigation
- Radar Aided Navigation
Honeywell’s Alternative Navigation Architecture
Enables seamless integration of Celestial Aided Navigation with other resilient modalities, providing a unified framework for autonomous, infrastructure-free positioning in GPS-denied environments. By supporting star tracker and RSO-based inputs, HANA ensures CNAV delivers GPS-like accuracy with passive, jamming resistant performance across air, land, and maritime domains.
