Jared Moya
September 6th, 2006, 11:16 PM
Future satellites could use X-ray-emitting stars – rather than GPS signals – to get their bearings, according to plans by the US military.
The X-ray navigation technology would be less vulnerable to enemy interference than GPS and could also be used far from Earth to help interplanetary space probes keep track of their positions.
Satellites in low-Earth orbit locate themselves in space by using signals from higher-orbiting Global Positioning System satellites. US defence agencies are concerned that enemies of the states could try to jam GPS signals or otherwise interfere with the system.
If GPS suddenly became unavailable, it could cause satellites to leave their proper orbits. "The satellite will just slowly over time drift out of its orbital slot," says David Cavossa, executive director of the Satellite Industry Association in Washington DC, US. "It could start to get closer to other satellites and eventually it could hit another satellite."
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9870-satellites-could-navigate-by-xray-stars.html
The X-ray navigation technology would be less vulnerable to enemy interference than GPS and could also be used far from Earth to help interplanetary space probes keep track of their positions.
Satellites in low-Earth orbit locate themselves in space by using signals from higher-orbiting Global Positioning System satellites. US defence agencies are concerned that enemies of the states could try to jam GPS signals or otherwise interfere with the system.
If GPS suddenly became unavailable, it could cause satellites to leave their proper orbits. "The satellite will just slowly over time drift out of its orbital slot," says David Cavossa, executive director of the Satellite Industry Association in Washington DC, US. "It could start to get closer to other satellites and eventually it could hit another satellite."
http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/dn9870-satellites-could-navigate-by-xray-stars.html