Cosmic Ray Navigation System (CRoNS) for Autonomous Navigation in GPS-Denied Environments

Abstract

A. Chilingarian, S. Chilingaryan and M. Zazyan

In an era where Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems are integral to our technological infrastructure, the increasing prevalence of severe space weather events and the advent of deliberate disruptions such as GPS jamming and spoofing pose significant risks. These challenges are underscored by recent military operations in Ukraine, highlighting the vulnerability of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). In response, we introduce the Cosmic Ray Navigation System (CRoNS). This innovative and resilient alternative utilizes cosmic ray showers for high-precision navigation in environments where GNSS is compromised or unavailable. CRoNS capitalizes on an economical, distributed network of compact muon/electron sensors deployed across urban landscapes and integrated into mobile devices. These sensors continuously refine the parameters of the coordinate system, ensuring that adaptive and self-improving PNT services provide a significant advantage over static GNSS. They constantly monitor particle flux from extensive air showers (EASs) triggered by the stable galactic cosmic ray (GCR) flux entering Earth's atmosphere. Robots and vehicles equipped with CRoNS can autonomously navigate surface landscapes and underground, cross-referencing measured particle densities against the continuously updated reference system.

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