alt Hacker NewsI wonder if GPS and the like will be used more for their clock features than for position. The emissions celestial bodies are perfect fiducial markers [0,1], but connecting them to position still requires accurate timekeeping [2], as the paper notes:
Provided the use of an accurate clock, the results presented in this paper will not degrade over time.
0. https://www.twz.com/17207/sr-71s-r2-d2-could-be-the-key-to-w...
1. https://timeandnavigation.si.edu/multimedia-asset/nortronics...
2. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/harrisons-clocks-longit...
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I guess timekeeping is relatively easy? These systems would only operate independently for a few hours tops. I would imagine even a standard quartz movement would be accurate enough.
The clock accuracy required for celestial navigation is on the order of seconds, not microseconds.
They are perfect markers only as long as you can see them. Clouds and fog are your enemies here