Stellar Positioning System (Part I): An Autonomous Position Determination Solution

Abstract

Two theoretical approaches for determining position using star observations are presented, the Attitude Matrix Solution and Inner Product Solution. Both approaches are designed for implementation in an autonomous Stellar Positioning System that uses the following measurement sources: an astronomical camera, a clock, and a set of two inclinometers. Before presenting the algorithms, the reference frames utilized throughout are defined. The two position estimation techniques are then individually presented, followed by a discussion of gravity model and geometric model refinements.