This book discusses autonomous spacecraft navigation based on X-ray pulsars, analyzing how to process X-ray pulsar signals, how to simulate them, and how to estimate the pulse’s time of arrival based on epoch folding. In turn, the book presents a range of X-ray pulsar-based spacecraft positioning/time-keeping/attitude determination methods. It also describes the error transmission mechanism of the X-ray pulsar-based navigation system and its corresponding compensation methods. Further, the book introduces readers to navigation based on multiple measurement information fusion, such as X-ray pulsar/traditional celestial body integrated navigation and X-ray pulsar/INS integrated navigation. As such, it offers readers extensive information on both the theory and applications of X-ray pulsar-based navigation, and reflects the latest developments in China and abroad. 

The authors serve on the Flight Dynamics and Control Team at the National University of Defense Technology, which is one of the leading teams on X-ray pulsar-based navigation in China. They have been studying the theory and methodology of X-ray pulsar-based navigation since 2004.