GPS has now gone Galactic

[lsemmens]

[gordon_s1942]

Brilliant indeed, Trash would be the one to comment on this for us.
My understanding of one method of Space Navigation was to select various bright 'stars' and use them as 'markers', like 'Way Points' on Terrestrial Navigation.
I know there is a hell of a lot more involved n Space Navigation than just the above and crossing one fingers, lighting the Blue Taper and retiring rapidly.........
When you think about it, these 'Pulsars' have been sending out their emission's for several millennia so they should be ideal to aid in guiding Craft through space.

[Uncle Fester]

Great, now we can safely travel and breed all over the Universe, that is the meaning of our existence ... isn't it?
Elon Musk should be happy.

Earth is just getting too small.

[lsemmens]

Self driving space ships, what won't they think of next. [/sarcasm]

[gordon_s1942]

Lets not ignore the fact that at our present level of Technology, no matter what navigation method is used, its going to take at least 100 generations to get anywhere, thats IF there is 'somewhere' to get too which hopefully by then, means we have evolved somewhat.

[bob_m_54]

I can just hear Karen saying "Make a U turn at the nearest galaxy"

[lsemmens]

More likely Karen will say "turn left here" just as she's passing a nearby Black Hole.

[trash]

Gordon sums it up nicely. This is just a little bit 'hopeful'. And if anybody had not noticed, we have used this system before.

Every wondered what those strange radiating lines are on the voyager gold record are?
Yep, they give our position to several of the nearest pulsars.

Now as Gordon has mentioned, this is kind of an irrelevant thing to do because of the speed of light.
We see these pulsars where they were hundreds and thousands of years ago. If we send out a space craft, they will move considerably in the time it takes for a spacecraft to actually go anywhere.

In Voyager's case, the various pulsars may have moved considerably if the spacecraft is ever found, but it might be possible to work backwards with the relative velocities to give a rough idea of where and when the space craft came from.
That's a really really really big IF.

So in interstellar terms, it's kind of pointless unless the spacecraft can travel at considerable speed.
In terms of solar system positioning it does make a lot of sense except for one small detail. Pulsar signals are very weak and you need a very good antenna system to detect them.
So I'm not sure this is a practical application just yet.

In terms of solar system navigation we already have two very good points of reference.
The Sun and the Earth. And as Gordon also mentioned, there are plenty of bright stars that can be used orientate the space craft's attitude and calculate it's position, heading and velocity.

However, if I am flying towards an object in space, I'm going to use it as my reference when approaching it. Course corrections are going to be done locally rather than relying on weak distant signals.
It's like wearing a blindfold and driving you car only following your GPS in order to get you home and into your driveway. It can be done, but is rather clumsy.
Looking out of the window and seeing the driveway and making minor corrections to the car based on real time information wins hands down for efficiency and simplicity.

Why use a jet pack to fly to the corner store when all you have to do is walk.

[gordon_s1942]

Geeez Trash, you have just proved how dismal my knowledge is as I forgot that everything moves (big bang) so where them Pulsars were as we 'hear' them' they Aint There NOW, are they??

Back into my corner with me Teddy and Blankie, sucking my thumb!!!

[trash]

Good news for you Gordon is that they really haven't moved much in the time it too their light to get here.

Lets play Star Trek. Welcome to the Alpha quadrant. It's a chunk of the galaxy about 50,000 light years across.
The stars in the galaxy are generally moving bout 70,000kph, which means it takes them about 15,000 years to travel 1 light year.
So if we look out at the quadrant and log the positions of every pulsar in the quadrant, they will not actually be any further than 5 light years away from where we see them.
In terms of flying around the galaxy at warp speed, it's a good enough general navigation system like using light houses.
But it's not good enough for pin pointing anything.

Back to reality, it will also take conventional spacecraft about 15000 years to travel about 1 light year. Yeah, it's a bit of a disappointment how slow spacecraft actually move.
Imagine your ship moves as fast as the ligthhouses. They become kind of pointless flashing lights that randomly move almost as fast as you do.
So instead of being useful over thousands of light years, it's only good for about 5 and still not pinpoint accurate.

I've got to bring this one up at the astronomy club this week for a giggle and see how many people can think it through.
I'll sit back and enjoy the chaos as they work their way back to reality

No wonder we're lost! You're using neutron stars for navigation you bubble headed booby!

[cobra679]

I don't think you know what you are talking about Trash

[trash]

I'm pretty sure I don't know what I'm talking about Cobra.
But I'm always keen to hear a different take on it if you'd like to share your thoughts on it.

[gordon_s1942]

In my earlier post, I alluded to the fact that the shortest journey taken at current Space Ship speeds will see at least 100 generations pass before arriving 'somewhere'.
We need to evolve from our present 'Carbon Based' physical life form to some kind of 'Energy' to go along with the ability to Travel vast distances and navigate the depths of Space.

[lsemmens]

Descartes had it all figured out in the 16th century. "Cogito ergo sum" was his catch phrase. I think, therefore I am. The rest of course can be extrapolated from that, I think I'm on Mars, therefore I AM on Mars. No time needed at all.