This special session focuses on advanced navigation solutions for autonomous close proximity operations, including in-orbit servicing, in-orbit assembly, debris removal, and small bodies exploration. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, relative navigation with cooperative/non-cooperative, known/unknown targets, navigation techniques for small body exploration, AI/ML-based approaches to state estimation, and the characterization of resident space objects. Contributions that include experimental validation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or in-orbit demonstrations are encouraged. The session aims to provide an overview of the current capabilities and open challenges in autonomous navigation for proximity operations.
