Pulsar star X-rays could aid autonomous space navigation

The European Space Agency (ESA) has commissioned scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Leicester University to investigate the feasibility of using pulsars to navigate in deep space.

Spacecraft navigation currently relies on radio transmissions between a distant craft and a network of ground stations on Earth. This means that the craft has to wait for an instruction from Earth to guide it through space and with the large distances involved this could take hours, days or even longer.

This time delay affects a spacecraft’s ability to react rapidly according to its location. Furthermore, the ground infrastructure is increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain due to the size of the radio antennas.

Pulsars are highly compact and rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit intense electromagnetic radiation observed as pulses, similar to the rotating beam of light seen from a lighthouse. In some cases these pulses can be highly regular, making them suitable sources for navigation using a technique similar to GPS.