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.

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This paper discusses the implementation of a Stellar Positioning System as well as techniques for error mitigation in experimentation and data post‐processing. The hardware used during the development and testing of the Stellar Positioning System is described. Star‐centroiding, star‐identification, attitude estimation, and the local gravity vector were used by the Stellar Positioning System to determine latitude and longitude. Image processing, attitude filtering, and focal length estimation are presented as techniques to further improve the capabilities of the system. The resulting prototype was tested in three different locations and the results demonstrate accuracy of the Stellar Positioning System to be within 50 meters for short time intervals.

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