Fundamentals of Spacecraft Optical Navigation

John A. Christian (Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA)

$223.95

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

John Wiley & Sons Inc
07 January 2026

Fluid mechanics; Mechanics of fluids; Aerospace & aviation technology; Space science; Astronautics

An authoritative and comprehensive foundation for professionals, educators, and students working in optical navigation

In Fundamentals of Spacecraft Optical Navigation, aerospace engineer John Christian delivers a rigorous and up-to-date discussion of optical navigation—the art of navigating spacecraft with camera images. The author combines the rich history of the fields of aerospace engineering, geometry, astronomy, planetary science, and computer vision with a robust treatment of the mathematics needed to solve contemporary problems.

Organized into ten chapters, the book provides the first comprehensive treatment of optical navigation. Readers will find:

A detailed account of the history of optical navigation, with plentiful excerpts and figures from original sources A rigorous introduction to the mathematics of projective geometry Thorough introductions to spacecraft dynamics, kinematics, and reference frames Comprehensive explorations of star catalogs, astrometry, and planetary photometry Overview of optical instrument hardware design Practical discussion of celestial navigation and terrain relative navigation (TRN)

Perfect for graduate students interested in spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control, Fundamentals of Spacecraft Optical Navigation will also benefit aerospace faculty and aerospace professionals with a responsibility for designing, reviewing, operating, or working with optical navigation systems.

By: John A. Christian (Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA)
Imprint: John Wiley & Sons Inc
Country of Publication: United States
ISBN: 9781394267712
ISBN 10: 1394267711
Pages: 736
Publication Date: 07 January 2026
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

John A. Christian, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He directs the Space Exploration and Analysis Laboratory (SEAL). Dr. Christian develops algorithms for extracting information from space sensor data.