Abstract: As one of the core technologies of spacecraft, navigation is critical to guarantee the success of space missions. Celestial navigation has gradually become an effective method for spacecraft, which has the advantage of continuity, autonomy, real-time, and high-precision. Based on the theory and application of celestial navigation at present, combined with specifications of near-Earth satellites and deep space probes, the theoretical and technical problems in space engineering are discussed, for example, that of accurate modeling of navigation source, that of perception and detection of high accuracy, etc. Perspective and development direction of new celestial navigation technology in future are proposed, which provides an effective way to realize celestial navigation of continuity, autonomy, real-time, and high-precision in space engineering, and valid reference to research on theory and technology of celestial navigation in depth for academia and engineering.