Gravity gradiometer integrated inertial navigation

In high precision inertial navigation, gravity field modeling error becomes a limiting factor. Granted that high precision accelerometers are used, airborne gravity gradiometry can be employed in a self-contained way to accurately estimate the gravity field on the fly and eliminate the gravity field modeling error. The local acceleration of gravity will be estimated using the onboard accelerometer measurements, provided that the acceleration measurements are very accurate, as is the case in high precision INS using cold atom interferometry-based accelerometers. An autonomous free-inertial gravity gradiometer integrated aircraft navigation system is promulgated. The accurate mapping of the gravity field along the aircraft's flight path is an added benefit.