Optical Navigation
Optical Navigation is a method of determining the position and velocity of a spacecraft by analyzing images of celestial objects, such as stars or planets, taken by onboard cameras. This technique involves identifying known stars or other celestial objects in the images and comparing their positions to a star catalog or ephemeris to determine the spacecraft's orientation and position. Optical Navigation can be used for both deep space and planetary missions, and is particularly useful in situations where other navigation methods, such as radio-based systems, are not available or are less accurate. This technique has been used successfully in a number of missions, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the New Horizons mission to Pluto.
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