Abstract: Autonomous navigation technology has obvious advantages in improving deep space detector survival ability, reducing the burden of the ground station and meeting the need of special task stage in navigation. It has become a hotspot of research in the world wide. Mars exploration project has been launched in China, there are other projects for asteroids, comets and planets and their satellites. Under this background, this paper describes the necessity of the development of autonomous celestial navigation technology; describes the basic principle and advantages of celestial navigation technology; and gives an overview of domestic and foreign deep space autonomous celestial navigation technology and application; summarizes the key technologies of the development of autonomous celestial navigation technology. According to the analysis in this text, the suggestions and considerations for the development of deep space exploration autonomous navigation technology in China are proposed.