Earth and Space
Pulsar sat-nav
Stories from Physics
for 11-14
14-16
It has been proposed that pulsars could be used as a kind of beacon to orientate spacecraft. A spacecraft could detect the beams of X-ray radiation emitted by a number of pulsars and compare their arrival time to calculate its position within the galaxy, in a similar manner to how satellites are used in GPS systems.
References
Pulsar Sat-nav
J. Amos, Dead stars ‘to guide spacecraft’, 30th March 2012, BBC Science & Environment Website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-17557581
