INS/CNS integrated navigation method for lunar rover

In the second phase of China's lunar exploration program, a lunar rover will be used to survey the lunar surface. Effective navigation and control of lunar rover guarantees the success of the mission. Autonomous navigation is a critical technology which compensates for the limitations of ground tracking and control. Inertial navigation system (INS) and celestial navigation system (CNS) are two kinds of important autonomous navigation systems. However, the error of INS accumulates with time and precision of CNS is low in a short period of time. In order to solve these problems, a new INS/CNS integrated navigation method for lunar rovers is presented. This method acquires a high navigation precision by periodically fusing estimates of INS and CNS. Simulation results show that a position estimation error within 25 m is obtained, which demonstrates that the method is a promising choice for long period, long distance and high precision navigation of lunar rover.