China’s hypersonic weapons can now use the stars for guidance when satellite systems like GPS or BeiDou are jammed or fail, according to a project led by the Guangdong Aerospace Research Academy that passed its final expert review on Monday.
According to a report published by the academy on August 10, researchers set out to tackle the challenge of developing a star-based navigation system that would be able to function at the extreme speeds of hypersonic flight – Mach 5 and above.
Hypersonic weapons are difficult to intercept, making them a key strategic asset in global competition, but they generally require navigation systems that are highly autonomous and precise.
Before the age of electronic instruments, sailors used tools like sextants to observe the sky and steer by the North Star.
Modern electronic systems can do something similar. By tracking the natural, predictable movements of stars, they can calculate a vehicle’s position and motion in space. This method is known as celestial navigation.
Unlike inertial systems that rely on ground stations or satellites, celestial navigation is completely self-contained and immune to external electromagnetic interference.