Automated Celestial Navigation System Employing Daytime Electronic Stellar Imaging

In Phase I, Microcosm established the feasibility of creating an Automated Celestial Navigation System (ACNS) employing daytime electronic stellar imaging, operating at sea level. In Phase II, a prototype ACNS will be developed and tested on the ground to validate the technology. The ACNS sensor will have three 4-degree-square fields-of-view and three focal plane arrays (FPAs) simultaneously imaging stars. The sensor will be designed, including key elements, such as the optical head, FPAs, filter, processing electronics, housing, and gimbal. Refined image chain analyses will determine the appropriate optical system requirements the sensor will be designed to meet. The navigation algorithms will then be developed and coded into operational software. The sensor will be fabricated and ready for delivery to the customer, completing the $600K Basic effort for Phase II. A $150K Option will consist of two primary activities: 1) Demonstration, test, and evaluation of the prototype unit at sea level in daytime and nighttime, and 2) Evaluation of design changes for creating a deployable unit. At the completion of Phase II, a working ACNS prototype will have been validated and a design upgrade plan completed for transitioning the prototype into an operational system for Navy ships.