how does keep track of direction in space flight?

"harmony" wrote in message
news:JEGsf.18041$Ou3.7306@dukeread09...
is there some kind of compass available for space traveller? how would the
future astronauts stop from getting lost once they venture out of earth's
orbit?

Same way sailors did on Earth for thousands of years. Stellar navigation.

In fact tests done on Apollo 8 showed a high degree of accuracy even done
manually.

is there some kind of compass available for space traveller? how would the
future astronauts stop from getting lost once they venture out of earth's
orbit?

harmony wrote:
is there some kind of compass available for space traveller? how would the
future astronauts stop from getting lost once they venture out of earth's
orbit?



Computers, telemetry, inertial guidance...

harmony wrote:
is there some kind of compass available for space traveller? how would the
future astronauts stop from getting lost once they venture out of earth's
orbit?

Gyroscopes can maintain their axes (directions) indefinitely if
properly isolated. Used in ballistic missiles to calculate trajectory
to targets.
Also the stars are always visible in space. As are planets and sun. You
can calculate your position by measuring the angular distances to some
of them. They always carry a powerful telescope. And computers
nowadays.

Adi Anant

In sci.physics, Marcus Aurelius

wrote
on 28 Dec 2005 17:26:36 -0800
.com:

harmony wrote:
is there some kind of compass available for space traveller? how would the
future astronauts stop from getting lost once they venture out of earth's
orbit?

Gyroscopes can maintain their axes (directions) indefinitely if
properly isolated. Used in ballistic missiles to calculate trajectory
to targets.
Also the stars are always visible in space. As are planets and sun. You
can calculate your position by measuring the angular distances to some
of them. They always carry a powerful telescope. And computers
nowadays.

Adi Anant


Pedant Point: http://einstein.stanford.edu

:-)

--
#191,
It's still legal to go .sigless.

"harmony" wrote in message
news:JEGsf.18041$Ou3.7306@dukeread09...
is there some kind of compass available for space traveller?

No.

how would the
future astronauts stop from getting lost once they venture out of earth's
orbit?

Well, you see, there were once three clever blokes who followed
a star to trade some frankincense and myrrh for gold, and ever since
then man has used the stars to navigate.
Dastardly Fiend.

On a sunny day (Wed, 28 Dec 2005 19:16:10 -0600) it happened "harmony"
wrote in JEGsf.18041$Ou3.7306@dukeread09:

is there some kind of compass available for space traveller? how would the
future astronauts stop from getting lost once they venture out of earth's
orbit?


From a philosophical point of view, we have no clue where we the earth, the
solar system, the milky way and the whole universe is, so.. to find your way
back to earth from close bye, the simplest is to tune into one of the many
radio or TV stations....
Simple dipole directional antenna should work even when you can no longer see
earth.
We have been 'radioing' for many decades now, so from 50 light years away it
should be no problem receiving nice old TV movies.

I dunno how many giga watt noise earth is putting out these days that makes
it through the atmosphere, but likely any decent short wave radio is all you
ever need, as we can hardy leave the solar system even with unmanned
spacecraft at this moment.
El Pante

On a sunny day (Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:00:04 GMT) it happened The Ghost In The
Machine wrote in
:
Pedant Point: http://einstein.stanford.edu

:-)
That is nice, nice pictures too.

On a sunny day (Thu, 29 Dec 2005 01:19:21 GMT) it happened Sam Wormley
wrote in tQGsf.656359$x96.352561@attbi_s72:

harmony wrote:
is there some kind of compass available for space traveller? how would the
future astronauts stop from getting lost once they venture out of earth's
orbit?



Computers, telemetry, inertial guidance...
Polly wants a cracker.

On a sunny day (Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:53:32 GMT) it happened Jan Panteltje
wrote in :

On a sunny day (Wed, 28 Dec 2005 19:16:10 -0600) it happened "harmony"
wrote in JEGsf.18041$Ou3.7306@dukeread09:

is there some kind of compass available for space traveller? how would the
future astronauts stop from getting lost once they venture out of earth's
orbit?


From a philosophical point of view, we have no clue where we the earth, the
solar system, the milky way and the whole universe is, so.. to find your way
back to earth from close bye, the simplest is to tune into one of the many
radio or TV stations....
Simple dipole directional antenna should work even when you can no longer see
earth.
We have been 'radioing' for many decades now, so from 50 light years away it
should be no problem receiving nice old TV movies.

I dunno how many giga watt noise earth is putting out these days that makes
it through the atmosphere, but likely any decent short wave radio is all you
ever need, as we can hardy leave the solar system even with unmanned
spacecraft at this moment.
El Pante

Actually it also makes it possible to see how far you are away if you have an
accurate synced watch, substract TV station time from watch time,
use 300000 km /s.
(And do not get fooled by GMT CET etc..).