Attitude Determination and Attitude Estimation in Aircraft and Spacecraft Navigation. A survey

Abstract

In the domain of Engennering, especially in GNC (Guidance, Navigation, Control), attitude can be defined as the orientation of a body frame in 3D space with respect to another frame called “reference frame”. Have information obout this orientation is very prominent to achieve high reliability of the system in question. This paper adresses the concept attitude determination and attitude estimation of body in motion (aircraft and spacecraft). It summarizes many published reasercher's works that exists in the literature, and which treat the main notions in this field. It is about forms of attitude representation, diference between the two famous principal branches: attitude determination and attitude estimation. After that, different sensors and approaches used in each branch are outlined in chronological order. A detail description of these sensors and algorithms are given. Simulation results of attitude determination are illustrated. This brief also represents an overview which may help readers and developpers to more understand the subject of attitude representation and attitude sensors. It allows them to master the attitude determination and attitude estimation in aircraft and spacecraft navigation.