Navigating the Cosmos: Understanding Relativity in Space

Ever wondered how fast something is going in space? Well, it all depends on your frame of reference. Spacecraft traveling in the depths of the void often lack the regular reference points that we’re used to on Earth.

Several projects named “StarNAV” have been in development, including one by a group of researchers on the East Coast of the US and a start-up company based on technology out of UC Irvine. The work done by these researchers has shown considerable progress, as detailed in a paper released by them last year.

These researchers, led by Paul McKee of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, are using a technique that capitalizes on a feature of stars known as stellar aberration. This technique has been attempted before, but it proved quite challenging to achieve precise measurements of the velocity of a spacecraft.

However, the NIAC researchers have developed a method of using slightly less precise inter-star angle measurements but multiple measurements, which involves using advanced mathematics to calculate an accurate velocity measurement without the need for complicated tracking systems.

So, how does it work exactly? The system described in the Acta Astronautica paper consists of three different telescopes offset from each other at known angles, each observing a different pair of stars. With these three slightly less precise measurements, an algorithm can still calculate an average stellar aberration and, therefore, a reasonable estimate of spacecraft velocity.

If you’re looking for where all the complex math steps in, read more here and dive into the details of the fascinating work conducted by these researchers.