Navigation is the technical ability of course and maneuver determination, when the goal is to move from one point of space to any other correctly and safely. While the archetypal concept of navigation refers to the practice of direction design on ships (sea travel), nowadays it can refer to movement on any level: on land, on any water surface (sea, lake, river), in the air, even in space.
The practice of navigation requires a combination of specialized knowledge from different science fields, as well as rigorous practice on the morphological characteristics, real and imaginary, of the earth's and the sky’s surface. The constant changes in technology have modified the work, design and methods of navigation. Navigation techniques have evolved greatly over time. The main navigation techniques and systems developed in history are celestial navigation, navigation assisted by nautical instruments, navigation with terrestrial systems and satellite navigation.
In the 21st century, any land, sea, air or space travel is a unique link to a coordinated transport network that carries people and goods from any starting point to any selected destination. The efficient operation of the whole system depends on the assurance that any means of transport will remain in the planned course, will avoid conflicts, will minimize fuel consumption and will comply with a predetermined time schedule. In order to comply with the above, it is necessary for all means of transport to navigate with the highest precision possible and to constantly check vital parameters for the safety and efficiency of their movement.
But how did humanity get from celestial navigation to locating a target using radio waves and to navigating with the help of the Global Positioning System (GPS)? What kind of navigation tools and nautical instruments did man develop, the evolution of which led us to modern, safe and accurate navigation? The present special research paper attempts to answer the questions above, following the course of navigation in human history.
