A method and system for estimating an angular deviation from a reference guidance axis, a position and a velocity of an aircraft. The system includes an offset collection module for collecting an offset measured by a measurement module, a position vector collection module for collecting a position vector measured by a position vector measurement module, a velocity vector collection module, a module for estimating the angular deviation of a reference guidance axis with respect to the approach axis towards the runway, for estimating the position of the aircraft with respect to the runway and for estimating the velocity of the aircraft with respect to the runway.

FAST provides a method of “bootstrapping” a pseudo-range (PR) stage and one or more carrier-phase (CP) stages to quickly produce a highly accurate, high integrity receiver-to-receiver lever arm survey based on differential GNSS processing. The lever arm estimates of a previous stage are used to resolve the carrier phase ambiguities of the next stage. The method can be integrated with the warm-up of the integrity monitors to reduce the entire survey and warm-up startup time to 90 minutes or less, which is critical for mobile and make shift and precision approach and (automated) landing operations.

A method, an apparatus, system, and computer program product for navigating an aircraft. Information indicative of a result of a scan of an environment around the aircraft is received by a computer system for landmarks. Bearings of the landmarks and locations of the landmarks are determined by the computer system. A current position of the aircraft is estimated by the computer system using the bearings of the landmarks and the locations of the landmarks. A set of actions to be performed is determined to guide the aircraft based on the current position of the aircraft is performed by the computer system.

There are approximately 35,000 abandoned and unplugged oil and gas wells in New York with no known location. Unplugged wells emit methane, a strong greenhouse gas, which has the potential to significantly contribute to global climate change and act as a pollutant chemical. A long-range UAV equipped with methane sensors, MagPike (atomic magnetometer), and LiDAR sensors successfully detected unmarked well sites using characteristic magnetic signals generated by vertical metal piping preserved in the ground. The optimal flight altitude and transect spacing was determined for detection driven by the total field strength of the Earth's magnetic field and the height of tree canopies determined by LiDAR. Traditional methods of identifying oil and gas wells are costly and less powerful in acquisition of data such as using large magnetometers attached to helicopters.

Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for landing a vehicle. For instance, the method may include: before a descent transition point, receiving from a service a landing zone confirmation including landing zone location information and an indication that a landing zone is clear; determining a landing flight path based on the landing zone location information; and upon the vehicle starting a descent to the landing zone using the landing flight path: receiving landing zone data from at least one of a radar system, a camera system, an altitude and heading reference system (AHRS), and a GPS system; performing an analysis based on the landing zone data to determine whether an unsafe condition exists; and based on the analysis, computing flight controls for the vehicle to continue the descent or modify the descent.

Disclosed are methods, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for landing a vehicle. For instance, the method may include: before a descent transition point, receiving from a service a landing zone confirmation including landing zone location information and an indication that a landing zone is clear; determining a landing flight path based on the landing zone location information; and upon the vehicle starting a descent to the landing zone using the landing flight path: receiving landing zone data from at least one of a radar system, a camera system, an altitude and heading reference system (AHRS), and a GPS system; performing an analysis based on the landing zone data to determine whether an unsafe condition exists; and based on the analysis, computing flight controls for the vehicle to continue the descent or modify the descent.

Differential ranging measurements are formed using first ranging measurements from reference GNSS receivers and second ranging measurements from GNSS receivers on a rover, the first and second ranging measurements received from a plurality of GNSS satellites. A main navigation solution and a main protection level (PL) set are computed based on the differential ranging measurements. Ionospheric threat scenarios associated with experiencing severe ionospheric gradients to one or more of the plurality of GNSS satellites are determined. A supplemental navigation solution and a corresponding supplemental PL set for each of the plurality of ionospheric threat scenarios are computed. A maximum PL set is selected based on the main PL set and the supplemental PL sets to form a final PL set that protects the main solution against nominal navigation threats and severe ionospheric threats.

Improvements in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) spoofing detection of a vehicle are disclosed utilizing bearing and/or range measurements acquired independently from GNSS technology. Bearing and/or range measurements are determined from a GNSS-calculated position. Additionally, bearing and/or range measurements are acquired from an independent sensor, such as a Very high frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) receiver and/or a Distance Measurement Equipment (DME) receiver. The differences between the GNSS-based bearing and/or range and the bearing and/or range determined from the independent sensor, along with any applicable sources of error or uncertainty (including the post-hoc residuals from the GNSS-calculated position), are input into an analytical algorithm (e.g., RAIM) to determine whether GNSS spoofing is present with respect to the calculated GNSS position. If spoofing is detected, an alternative position determining system can be used in lieu of GNSS technology, and alerts can be sent notifying appropriate entities of the spoofing result.

Improvements in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) spoofing detection of a vehicle are disclosed utilizing bearing and/or range measurements acquired independently from GNSS technology. Bearing and/or range measurements are determined from a GNSS-calculated position. Additionally, bearing and/or range measurements are acquired from an independent sensor, such as a Radio Detection and Ranging (radar) and a terrain database. The differences between the GNSS-based bearing and/or range and the bearing and/or range determined from the independent sensor, along with any applicable sources of error or uncertainty (including the post-hoc residuals from the GNSS-calculated position), are input into an analytical algorithm (e.g., RAIM) to determine whether GNSS spoofing is present with respect to the calculated GNSS position. If spoofing is detected, an alternative position determining system can be used in lieu of GNSS technology, and alerts can be sent notifying appropriate entities of the spoofing result.

Autoland systems and processes for landing an aircraft without pilot intervention are described. In implementations, the autoland system includes a memory operable to store one or more modules and at least one processor coupled to the memory. The processor is operable to execute the one or more modules to identify a plurality of potential destinations for an aircraft; calculate a merit for each potential destination identified; select a destination based upon the merit; and create a route from a current position of the aircraft to an approach fix associated with the destination that accounts for the terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s). The processor can also cause the aircraft to traverse the route, determine a final approach segment associated with the route; identify terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s) associated with the final approach segment; and determine an adjusted final approach segment accounting for the terrain characteristic(s) and/or obstacle characteristic(s).