System and method for navigational determination using range-doppler radar altimetry

A system for determining the position and velocity of an object in flight over an environment having a surface having a plurality of known ranges relative to some datum representing the contour of the surface, the system including:

• a range-doppler radar system (RDRS) couplable to an object in flight, wherein the RDRS comprises:
• an antenna;
• and
• processing circuitry that is in communication with the antenna, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to perform acts comprising:
• causing the antenna to emit a plurality of radar signals towards the surface of the environment as the object is flying over the surface of the environment;
• receiving a plurality of electrical signals, each that is representative of a radar return detected by the antenna, wherein each radar return is based upon a radar signal reflecting from the surface of the environment;
• computing a plurality of range measurements and doppler measurements for a plurality of doppler bins from the plurality of electrical signals;
• determining a plurality of minimum range measurements for each of the plurality of doppler bins, the plurality of minimum range measurements forming a minimum range contour (MRC);
• and
• transmitting the plurality of plurality of minimum range measurements forming the MRC and corresponding doppler measurements to a computing system;
• and
• a computing system that computes the position and velocity of the object based on a received plurality of minimum range measurements forming the MRC and corresponding doppler measurements and the known ranges representing the contour of the surface of the environment controlling a mechanical system of the object in flight based upon the computed position and velocity.