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China develops star based guidance for hypersonic weapons if GPS fails
The approach, called celestial navigation, is described as self contained and immune to external electromagnetic interference, including satellite jamming.
China’s hypersonic weapons can use a star tracking navigation system for guidance when satellite services such as GPS or BeiDou are jammed or fail, according to a project led by the Guangdong Aerospace Research Academy.
SCMP Economy reports that researchers said the system is designed to operate at hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 and above, addressing the need for autonomous, precise navigation on platforms that are difficult to intercept.
The academy’s report, published August 10, describes celestial navigation as a method that tracks the predictable movement of stars to calculate a vehicle’s position and motion in space.
Unlike inertial systems that rely on ground stations or satellites, the academy describes celestial navigation as fully self contained and resistant to external electromagnetic interference.