# ShadowNav: Autonomous Global Localization for Lunar Navigation in Darkness

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.01673 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.01673/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 4 of its 58 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 2 May 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Domain-invariant Stereo Matching Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1911.13287/) (2019)
- [LunarNav: Crater-based Localization for Long-range Autonomous Lunar Rover Navigation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.01350/) (2023)
- [Lunar Rover Localization Using Craters as Landmarks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.10073/) (2022)
- [ShadowNav: Crater-Based Localization for Nighttime and Permanently Shadowed Region Lunar Navigation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.04630/) (2023)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [LunarLoc: Segment-Based Global Localization on the Moon](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.16940/) (2025)
- [Adaptive Quantized Planetary Crater Detection System for Autonomous Space Exploration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.18025/) (2025)
- [Visual SLAM with DEM Anchoring for Lunar Surface Navigation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.17229/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The ability to determine the pose of a rover in an inertial frame autonomously is a crucial capability necessary for the next generation of surface rover missions on other planetary bodies. Currently, most on-going rover missions utilize ground-in-the-loop interventions to manually correct for drift in the pose estimate and this human supervision bottlenecks the distance over which rovers can operate autonomously and carry out scientific measurements. In this paper, we present ShadowNav, an autonomous approach for global localization on the Moon with an emphasis on driving in darkness and at nighttime. Our approach uses the leading edge of Lunar craters as landmarks and a particle filtering approach is used to associate detected craters with known ones on an offboard map. We discuss the key design decisions in developing the ShadowNav framework for use with a Lunar rover concept equipped with a stereo camera and an external illumination source. Finally, we demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed approach in both a Lunar simulation environment and on data collected during a field test at Cinder Lakes, Arizona.