Pulsar-based navigation
X-ray pulsar-based navigation and timing (XNAV) is a navigation technique whereby the periodic X-ray signals emitted from pulsars are used to determine the location of a spacecraft in deep space. A spacecraft using XNAV compares received X-ray signals with a database of known pulsar frequencies and locations. Similar to GPS, this comparison allows the spacecraft to triangulate its position accurately.
References
- Johns Hopkins APL to Develop Deep Space Navigation Network
- US Government Contract Proposal for X-Ray Pulsar Based Navigation and Time Determination
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