Development of distributed integrated navigation simulator for autonomous spacecraft

Before developing an integrated navigation system, it is an efficient method to build an integrated navigation simulator to reduce cost and shorten period of development. Building a distributed simulator with multiple computers will be more close to the actual system. A distributed integrated simulator for spacecraft autonomous navigation, with the characteristics of modularization and universalisation, was developed with computers and data bus. Based on the previously research, autonomous navigation sensors consists of Strap-down Inertial Navigation System (SINS), Global Positioning System (GPS) and Star Sensor (SS). To realize integrated navigation function, the configuration of the distributed simulator was designed to include Trajectory Generator subsystem, Inertial Measurement Unit subsystem, SINS subsystem, GPS subsystem, SS subsystem and Integrated Navigation subsystem. Hardware design and software development of the simulator are discussed. The federated/centralized Kalman filters are used as simulator information fusion algorithm. The distributed simulator has been applied successfully to provide useful advice for designers.