Handheld Celestial Navigation System

Modern navigation systems are heavily reliant on satellites (e.g., GPS, GNSS, GLONASS, etc.) to maintain positional awareness and orientation. These signals are susceptible to intentional disruption, such as jamming or spoofing, and unintentional interruption due to radio frequency interference, signal attenuation caused by local terrain, or satellite malfunctions. Under Phase I of this SBIR, Areté proposes a feasibility study for the development of an innovative handheld Tactical Celestial Navigation System (TCNS). TCNS will provide day/night Position and Location Information (PLI) in GPS-denied or -degraded environments. By referencing celestial bodies, including the sun, moon, planets, and stars, TCNS will enable an individual soldier to navigate with high precision in GPS-denied or -degraded environments. Given Areté’s celestial navigation experience and existing processing toolchain, Areté is uniquely positioned to provide insightful results from a feasibility study focused on camera technologies, precise timing methodologies, techniques to reduce pointing/location error, processing and power needs, operation under multiple environmental conditions, and integration with existing hardware (e.g., end-user devices) and software (e.g., ATAK).