Celestral 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• 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 StrategyCelestial Aided Navigation is a critical component of Honeywell’s Alternative Navigation Suite, which also includes:• Vision Aided Navigation• Magnetic Anomaly Aided Navigation• Radar Aided NavigationTogether, these technologies form a multi-modal, resilient navigation architecture that ensures operational continuity in the most challenging environments—supporting both defense and commercial aerospace missions.Honeywell’s Alternative Navigation ArchitectureEnables 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.
