Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Twenty-Five Years of INR

  • Published:
The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Image Navigation and Registration (INR) is the engineering discipline that deals with the problem of calibrating and stabilizing image geometry, particularly in the domain of geostationary weather satellites where the term appears to have first come into use within the GOES program. GOES I-M represented the transition from spin-stabilization to three-axis control within the GOES program. A spin-stabilized spacecraft, with its large gyroscopic stiffness, is a stable platform for supporting challenging Earth-observation missions from geostationary orbit. Unfortunately, a telescope deployed on a spin-stabilized spacecraft looks towards the Earth only about 5% of the time. NASA and NOAA were justifiably concerned in the GOES I-M epoch by the idea of adapting what was essentially communications satellite attitude control technology to host precision-pointed scanning instruments and accorded special attention to these concerns within the GOES I-M specifications under the heading of INR. The technology and performance of INR systems have evolved considerably since then and the field has found application in a host of non-U.S. systems, including Meteosat, MTSAT, and COMS. This paper looks back at the field beginning with GOES I-M and traces its evolution through Meteosat Second Generation (MSG), MTSAT, COMS, and GOES N-P with advanced stellar-inertial attitude control. It concludes with an analysis of where the field is likely to be heading for the next generation systems, in particular, GOES-R and Meteosat Third Generation (MTG).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Brush, R. J. H. “The Navigation of AVHRR Imagery,” International Journal of Remote Sensing, Vol. 9, No. 9, 1988, pp. 1491–1501.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Emery, W. J., Brown, J., and Nowak, Z.P. “AVHRR Image Navigation: Summary and Review,” Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, Vol. 55, No. 8, 1989, pp. 1175–1183.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Markley, F. L. “Autonomus Satellite Navigation Using Landmarks,” Advances in the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 46, Part II,, 1982, pp. 989–1010.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Markley, F.L. “Geopositioning Accuracy of an Autonomous Navigation System Using Landmarks,” Proceedings of the 1982 American Control Conference, Arlington, Virginia, June 1982, Vol. 2, pp. 528–633.

  5. Markley, F. L. “Autonomous Navigation using Landmark and Intersatellite Data,” presented as AIAA Paper 84-1987 at the AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Conference, Vol. 65, 1984.

  6. White, R. L., Adams, M. B., Geisler, E. G., and Grant, F. D. “Attitude and Orbit Estimation Using Stars and Landmarks,” IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, Vol. AES-11, No. 2, March 1975, pp. 195–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Billingsley, F.C., Anuta, P.E., Carr, J.L., Mcgillem, C.D., Smith, D.M., and Strand, T.C. “Data Processing and Reprocessing,” in Manual of Remote Sensing, 2nd Ed., R.N. Colell (ed.), American Society of Photogrammetry, 1983.

  8. Madani, H., Carr, J., and Schoeser, C. “Image Registration using AutoLandmark,” Proceedings of the 2004 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, September 20–24, 2004.

  9. Blancke, B. and Carr, J. “The Role of Fuel Exchange Sloshing in the Nutation Damping of Spin Stabilized Satellites,” Proceedings of the 47th Congress of the IAF, IAF, Beijing, China, October 1996.

  10. Blancke, B. and Carr, J. “Liquid Migration and the Static Stability of Spinning Spacecraft,” The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 44, No. 3, July 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Blancke, B., Carr, J., Lairy, E., Pomport, F., and Pourcelot, B. “The Aerospatiale Meteosat Image Processing System (AMIPS),” Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Scientific Imagery and Image Processing, L’Association Aéronautique et Astronautique de France, April 1995.

  12. Blancke, B., Carr, J., Pomport, F., Rombaut, D., Pourcelot, B., and Mangolini, M. “The MSG Image Quality Ground Support Equipment,” Proceedings of the 1997 Meteorological Satellite Data Users’ Conference, EUMETSAT, Brussels, Belgium, September 1997.

  13. Blancke, B., Carr, J., Mangolini, M., and Pourcelot, B. “Processing and Quality Measurement of METEOSAT Second Generation Images: The IQGSE Software,” Proceedings of the 49th International Astronautical Congress, IAF, Melbourne, Australia, September 1998.

  14. Blancke, B., Carr, J., and Diekmann, F. “Real-Time Software Image Navigation and Compensation for the METEOSAT-5 Rotating Lens Anomaly,” Advances in the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 88, 1995.

  15. Goes I-M Data Book, http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/text/goes.databook.html (current February 5, 2009).

  16. Carr, J. “Long-Term Stability of GOES-8 and 9 Attitude Control,” Proceedings of the 1996 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, SPIE, Denver, CO, August 1996.

  17. Harris, J., Carr, J., and Chu, D. “A Long-Term Characterization of GOES I-M Attitude Errors,” Proceedings of the 2001 Flight Mechanics Symposium, NASA/GSFC, June 2001.

  18. Crassidis, J., Markley, F.L., and Kyle, A. “Attitude Determination Designs for the GOES Spacecraft,” Proceedings of the 1996 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, SPIE, Denver, CO, August 1996. (See also: Hur-Diaz, S. and Kamel, A.; Van Bezooijen; and Flynn, D. and Cassidy, L. from the same session.)

  19. Goes N Data Book, http://goes.gsfc.nasa.gov/text/goes.databookn.html (current February 5, 2009).

  20. Carson, C., Carr, J., and Sayal, C. “GOES-13 End-to-End INR Performance Verification and Post Launch Testing,” Proceedings of the 5th GOES Users Conference, Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society, January 20–24, 2008.

  21. Carr, J., Gibbs, B., Madam, H., and Allen, N. “INR Performance of the GOES-13 Spacecraft Measured in Orbit,” Proceedings of the 31st Annual AAS Guidance and Control Conference, February 1–6, 2008.

  22. Newcomb, H., Pirhalla, R., Sayal, C., Carson, C., Gibbs, B., and Wilkin, P. “First GOES-13 Image Navigation & Registration Tests Confirm Improved Performance,” presented as paper AIAA-2008-3464 at the SpaceOps 2008 Conference, May 2008.

  23. Carr, J. and Madam, H. “Measuring Image Navigation and Registration Performance at the 3-σ Level Using Platinum Quality Landmarks,” presented as paper NASA/CP-2007-214158 at the 20th International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics, September 24–28, 2007.

  24. Chu, D., Reth, A., and Early, D. “GOES-R Line-of-Sight Estimation,” Proceedings of the 2005 Flight Mechanics Symposium, NASA/GSFC, 2005.

  25. Barker, L. “GPS Beyond LEO: Signal Environment System Design Considerations,” presented as paper AAS 08-003 at the 31st Annual AAS Guidance and Control Conference, Breckenridge, CO, February 1–6, 2008.

  26. Kronman, J.D. “Experience Using GPS For Orbit Determination of a Geosynchronous Satellite,” Proceedings of ION GPS 2000, Salt Lake City, UT, September 19–22, 2000.

  27. Bamford, B., Winternitz, L., and Moreau, M. “Real-Time Geostationary Orbit Determination Using the Navigator GPS Receiver,” Proceedings of the 2005 Flight Mechanics Symposium, Greenbelt, MD, October 18–20, 2005.

  28. Le Moigne, J., Carr, J., Chu, D., and Esper, J. “Advanced Geosynchronous Studies Imager (AGSI) Image Navigation and Registration (INR) System,” Proceedings at the Earth Observing Systems IV Conference, SPIE, September 1999.

  29. Ormiston, J. P., Blume, J., Ring, J., and Yoder, J. “GOES Advanced Baseline Imager-Ground Processing Development System,” presented as poster P1.7 at the 5th GOES Users Conference, Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society, January 20–24, 2008.

  30. Tehraman, S., Carr, J., Yang, S., Swaroop, A., and Mckenzie, K. “XGOHI, Extended GOES High-Inclination Mission for South-American Coverage,” Proceedings of the 23rd Conference on IIPS, Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society, January 17, 2007.

  31. Tehraman, S., Carr, J., Yang, S., Madam, H., Vasanth, S., Dirosario, R., Mckenzie, K., Schmit, T., and Swaroop, A. “Remapping GOES Imager Instrument Data for South American Operations, Implementing the XGOHI System,” Proceedings of the 5th GOES Users Conference, Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society, January 20–24, 2008.

  32. Tarde, R., Donley, E., and Carr, J. “Modeling and Optimal Design of Optical Remote Sensing Payloads,” Proceedings of the SPIE Earth Observing Systems XII, Conference, Vol. 6677, September 27, 2007.

  33. Riishojgaard, L. “The Molniya Orbit Imager: A Multi-Purpose Observatory for Multitemporal Imaging of the High-Latitude Regions,” Proceedings of the Fall Meetings of the American Geophysical Union, 2005.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Carr Astronautics Corp., 1725 Eye St. NW, #300, Washington, D.C., 20006

    James L. Carr

Authors
  1. James L. Carr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to James L. Carr.

Additional information

Presented at the F. Landis Markley Astronautics Symposium, Cambridge, Maryland, June 29–July 2, 2008.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Carr, J.L. Twenty-Five Years of INR. J of Astronaut Sci 57, 505–515 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03321514

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03321514

Keywords

Search

Navigation