Best as I can figure, they’re describing an inertial navigation system much like old-school nav systems that relied upon accelerometers and gyroscopes to calculate motion and changes in direction… but using quantum whachamajiggers instead of bulky mechanical devices that are prone to friction and such losses, with consequent degradation in accuracy over time.
This device could usher in GPS-free navigation
As described, it would retain accuracy sufficient to replace GPS for some sort of mission. Exactly how long that mission is and how much maneuvering is involved, wasn’t described, nor was the accuracy. But if it could allow a jetliner to fly across the world while skirting sudden clouds of volcanic ash and getting buffeted badly the whole way while dodging SAMs launched by Russian backed rebels while landing on the destination runway with an error in XYZ of no more than a foot or so, that’d be pretty snazzy. Because GPS, as useful and fantastic as it is *will* eventually go down. A Carrington Event will fry the satellites, or the West Taiwanese will swat them with lasers, or Putin will tag them with smart rocks or the evil Canadians will jam the signals or hackers will spoof them: eventually, one day, GPS will be anywhere from unreliable to simply unavailable. A self-contained inertial nav system will make a great backup; all you need to do is taxi your aircraft to a specific spot (or one of many, presumably) on the airport tarmac, hit a button that tells the nav unit to align itself with the co-ordinates of that spot, figure out what direction the plane is pointing, enter that in, and you’re good to go for however long the nav system is good for.
Another technological achievement courtesy the science labs of the United States. Soon to appear in Chinese factories because we have no concept of security anymore.
