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Teaching Celestial Navigation in the Age of GNSS

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Teaching Celestial Navigation in the Age of GNSS the International Journal Volume 12 on Marine Navigation Number 3 http://www.transnav.eu and Safety of Sea Transportation September 2018 DOI: 10.12716/1001.12.03.18 Teaching Celestial Navigation in the Age of GNSS I. Ibáñez University of the Basque Country, Portugalete, Spain ABSTRACT: Over the past two decades, we have witnessed the astounding development of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Celestial navigation has gradually been declining, displaced by the availability of these new, accurate, and easy‐to‐use electronic systems. Nonetheless, according to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW), deck officers onboard merchant ships must have been trained in the observance of celestial bodies to plot the ship’s position and to calibrate compass error. It is a real challenge in the current context to which lecturers in nautical astronomy can respond through innovation in their teaching methods. A new approach to training students in celestial navigation at the Nautical College of the University of the Basque Country is discussed in this paper. It has already achieved promising results in comparison with the traditional teaching methodology, and is both efficient and effective. The adoption of institutional measures is also proposed to ensure that the competence acquired in the training phase is at all times present throughout professional practice. 1 INTRODUCTION In fact, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and particularly GPS are currently the In 1995, the US Global Positioning System (GPS) was primary source for plotting a ship’s position on the declared fully operational, superseding its forerunner, high seas. Additionally, it is connected to virtually all Transit. It provides three‐dimensional fixes, with navigation equipment on the bridge. There is clearly global coverage and unparalleled accuracy. Likewise, excessive reliance upon a single source of electronic the Soviet GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite information that, if it were to fail, could place the System) was developed with similar coverage and ship’s safety at risk. Apart from GNSS receiver precision. In the last 20 years we have witnessed the malfunctions and other vulnerabilities of the onboard evolution of these first systems and the launch of new systems, GNSS could also be exposed to unintentional ones, such as the European Galileo or the Chinese or malicious interference, resulting in possible denial BeiDou systems (Bonnor, 2012). of service over large areas or, even worse, resulting in the delivery of fake and misleading information In consequence, celestial navigation, less accurate (Thomas et al., 2012; Grant et al., 2009). Governments and more complex than GPS, is no longer essential and industry are reacting to potential threats that and has, within only two decades, become an ancient could affect position, navigation, and timing (PNT) seafaring art, its chronometers and sextants now relics data reception due to unreliable or unavailable GPS of the past. signals. There are improvements to system robustness and its augmentation through other complementary 573 terrestrial PNT services such as eLoran (Psiaki and “I understand the importance of celestial Humphreys, 2016; Bartlett et al., 2015). navigation today, but on board commercial vessels it is so rarely used that if I ever really needed it, the In this context, it is undeniable that having truth is that I’d probably not be able to recall a thing. alternatives to GNSS is very necessary. As far as That’s why I would only devote time to critical points maritime navigation is concerned, following the on the celestial navigation course”. recommendations of the US Coast Guard, after a GPS signal outage, it is vital “to remember to use all There is an evident lack of consistency between the available means for navigation and to maintain competences related to celestial navigation that proficiency so you can still navigate should your students are required to develop during their primary GPS fail” (USCG, 2016). Along the same instruction period and the ones required in the lines, increasing concerns over GPS hacking and current professional practice. Inevitably, this fact malfunctions have led the US Navy to reinstate conditions the students’ attitude towards the learning classes on celestial navigation in autumn 2015 for all of the discipline. As Carson‐Jackson (2010) pointed new recruits (Alexander, 2015). out, “adult students have a strong sense of self, and need to know why learning is required and how it Clearly, GNSS vulnerability implies a need for immediately affects their work. This need for alternative means of plotting a position at sea, and the immediacy and relevancy is fundamental in experts agree that celestial navigation, as it was in the developing training interventions for adult learners”. past, is still suitable for this purpose, as it does not However, apart from the compliance with IMO’s depend on the electrical supply nor its disposition is STCW, it is very difficult to find arguments to at the mercy of another will that the own one. So, convince students about why learning celestial despite all opposition, nautical astronomy is an navigation is required in practice. Therefore, obligatory subject for deck officers onboard merchant addressing this situation must be twofold. On the one ships in compliance with the International Maritime hand, teaching celestial navigation must undoubtedly Organization (IMO) Convention on Standards of adapt to these changing times, adjusting the Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW). As curriculum in duration and contents, stripping away a matter of fact, in the deliberations of the IMO Sub‐ complexity from the explanations of its foundations Committee on Standards of Training and and reducing the methods and problems exposed to Watchkeeping (STW 39, March 2008), a proposal was the minimum necessary. On the other hand, made by Norway to delete the requirement of institutional intervention is needed to ensure the celestial navigation from chapter II of the STCW Code necessary coherence between education and practice. (IMO STW, 2008a). Without reaching any conclusion in the discussion, the committee agreed to further So, this paper reports and discusses an innovative discussion of the matter at the STW 40, held in approach to the teaching of celestial navigation, November 2008. The STW was then invited to designed on the basis of these criteria and intended to consider some proposed amendments to Chapter II of facilitate practical learning of this matter. An the STCW Code submitted by China, which suggested approach successfully applied over the past five years maintaining the mandatory requirement on on the Degree of Navigation at the Nautical College knowledge and skills with respect to celestial of the University of the Basque Country. Some ideas navigation, but restricted to observations of the sun about how institutional support can be offered are and stars, to determine the ship’s position, while also put forward in the conclusions chapter. improving the method for celestial navigation calculation (electronic nautical almanac and celestial navigation calculation software) (IMO STW, 2008b). Eventually, the 2010 Manila Amendments to the 2 METHODOLOGY STCW Code maintained the ability to use celestial bodies to determine the ship’s position as a The main purpose of this study is to explore the fundamental part of competency: Plan and conduct a influence of the teaching‐learning approach in the passage and determine position, for ocean‐going celestial navigation course on students’ academic navigation. In accordance with the STCW Code (IMO, performance and perceptions. 2011), among other skills and abilities, an officer on navigational watch should have the “Ability to use Traditionally, the celestial navigation course at the celestial bodies to determine the shipʹs position and Nautical College of the University of the Basque compass errors”, in order to ensure safe passage. Country was delivered focussing on transferring the Celestial navigation may be omitted for the issue of instructor’s knowledge to passive students. Lecturing restricted certificates for service on near‐coastal while requiring students to be passive, silent, isolated, voyages. In oceanic navigation it is primarily used as and in competition with each other; a system a backup to satellite systems. commonly referred to as the old paradigm of teaching (Jonson et al., 2006). The construction of the European However, it is an undeniable fact that many Higher Education Area seemed the perfect occasion to Merchant Navy deck officers make little or no use of transit towards a new paradigm, which, according to celestial navigation despite their training. This these authors, focuses attention to several aspects, situation is possibly due to an excessive reliance on including: GNSS, combined with a perspective on celestial Knowledge is discovered, constructed, navigation as an ancient, obsolete method of transformed, and extended by students. positioning that is complicated to study and tedious Students are active constructors of their own in practice, achieving an accuracy of only 1 or 2 miles knowledge. (Peacock, 2011; Malkin, 2014). In the words of a Learning is a social enterprise in which students student from the academic year 2010/11: need to interact with the instructor and classmates. 574 Instructor effort is aimed at developing student´s years of traditional teaching (2006/07 to 2010/11)
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