The naval observatory--Silent partner in surveying and navigation

The U.S. Naval Observatory's mission statement, places great emphasis on support of navigation. This paper provides a brief exposure to the history of the U.S. Naval Obseratory. It then covers fundamnental services provided to marine navigation, geodetic and surveying communities. Insofar as astrometry provides the fundamental inertial reference frame and the means to determine precise time, the U.S. Naval Observatory's "products" are the root source of accuracy in these fields without which positioning accuracy will deteriorate over a period of time. This paper evaluates present "products" such as almanacs, precise time and stellar positions and goes on to discuss plans for the future to improve accuracy and support. Some of the areas considered are radio interferometry in support of time and polar motion, clock synchronization via satellite, automated almanacs, integration of celestial and radio navigation methods and the use of space vehicles for determination of stellar positions. The conclusion addresses anticipated accuracy requirements and the need for their identification.