Flight Tests Show Draper’s SCANS Will Support Air Force’s PNT Systems Guidance, Navigation, and Control
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—A celestial navigation system developed by engineering innovation company Draper recently completed a flight test that demonstrated its viability as a position, navigation and timing (PNT) data source for an Air Force navigation system
Draper completed the five-day flight test campaign of its Stellar Celestial Alternative Navigation System, or SCANS, in February 2024. SCANS was tested on a U.S. Air Force twin turboprop aircraft at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 18,000 feet above sea level over California.
Draper worked closely with the Air Force Research Laboratory to integrate SCANS into the AFRL’s PNT systems. The flight test showed that SCANS provided PNT updates to the AFRL systems while flying in an unconditioned, unpressurized location on the aircraft.
As an indicator of its technical maturity, SCANS functioned as designed and produced more than twenty hours of data, with no adjustments or maintenance required between sorties, according to Pete Lewis, Multi-Sensor Navigation Business Area Lead at Draper.
“The demonstration underscores Draper’s commitment to advancing assured PNT solutions through close collaboration with government partners to deliver mission-relevant solutions that meet the operational needs of the warfighter,” Lewis said.
The technology previously has undergone testing onboard ships and aircraft, and it has been ruggedized so that it can operate in the harsh, saltwater conditions of the sea and in the extreme environment of high-altitude flights.
The new offering adds to Draper’s portfolio of navigation capabilities. The company provides PNT solutions in precision guided munitions, vision-based navigation, celestial tracking, high-precision clocks, advanced inertial measurement instruments and integration of GPS with inertial sensors.
Released July 9, 2024
