Experimental validation of GPS-INS-STAR hybrid navigation system for space autonomy

Abstract

The experimental validation of the GPS-INS-STAR hybrid navigation system concept is performed. The hybrid navigation system combines the best features of employed sensors to improve total navigation performances. The GPS-INS-STAR hybrid navigation system consists of the three different sensors, a GPS receiver, an inertial navigation system and a STAR image sensor. In this concept, the system integrates a high positioning performance of the GPS system, an accurate attitude determination capability of the STAR image sensor and the INS signal with a wide bandwidth. It results in a complete 6-DOF (degrees of freedom) autonomous navigation system. The present paper shows the validation of the concept by the experiments using GPS, INS and STAR hardware systems. The experiments are divided into three steps. Firstly, the INS-STAR hybrid navigation system is constructed on the 3-axis motion table to verify the performances of its attitude loop. Secondly, the GPS-INS hybrid navigation system installed on the car shows the performance improvement in its translational loop. Finally, the full configuration of the GPS-INS-STAR hybrid navigation system is evaluated at night. Each experiment result is checked by the theoretical analysis. In the theoretical analysis, the concept of observability well explains the performances of the system. Its feasibility for space application is also evaluated in the point of existing hardware technology. It is concluded that the experiments vaidate the concept of the hybrid navigation system and confirm its capability to realize space autonomy.