Space Lan

How does the spaceship knows its way to a specific planet?

we all know that the space is vast and huge and there are a lot of galaxies and stars and planets.. so, how the spaceship knows its way to a planet or a star? what kind of navigation do they use ? and we are all aware that everything in the space is moving not stable thanks

Public Comments

1. they are mostly not aware of things like this
2. The spaceship doesn't. Navigation programs have to account for all those moving objects. That's why you hear of "flight windows" and "riding the pipe down". Basically there's a plot calculated so that when you leave one position at a certain speed and angle you'll intercept the other. Navigation would have to be doppler.
3. This is all rocket science - which is to say an exact mathematical method can be applied. Now, for unmanned spacecraft, the engineers attache steering rockets so that they can correct for any course errors (or the uncertainties of "things" along the way.) It's not that tough, really.
4. They look out of the window.
5. They have somethign called a SpaceTom - its like Tomtom but for space.
6. celestial navigation and physics
7. they ask for directions...i know i would...hmmmmm
8. they use a TOM-TOM SAT NAV
9. Thats a good bloody question. I never actually thought about that. Mabey it's the control centre? NASA?
10. Astronaut holds a long stick out the window with a carrot on the end.
11. well this is what i think happens. be aware that i might not use the correct scientific terminology. and or facts. the planets move in their orbits which we can see from the earth using a telescope. all that is needed is to calculate where a planet will be by the time the distance to the planet is travelled . then probably you have to wait until the earth is in the right rotational 'position' and launch. and then maybe make a few minor adjustments.
12. Calculation. You could think of it like this. You are driving along a road approaching a 'T' Junction. Along the road in front of you, vehicles are moving across. Your objective is to hit one particular vehicle as it crosses in front of you as you arrive at the junction. So how do you 'time' it so that you arrive at the junction at exactly the same time as the vehicle you want to hit? That requires math. Using speed, and distance, you can work out when the target will arrive at the junction. Then calculate what speed you need to go to get to the junction at exactly the same time. Space flight will be the same principle, if perhaps a bit more complicated as everything is moving in different relativities and rarely in straight lines, with different forces at work (gravity etc). However, the movements of all the planets in our Solar System for example are well known, and can be predicted to high levels of accuracy (speed and direction). It is just a matter of crunching the math to calculate what speed and direction a spaceship needs to take in order to meet with whatever it is trying to get to. Perhpas another crude analogy might be trying to throw a ball at a moving object. You have to estimate where the object will be when the ball gets there. If you thow it straight at the object it will miss because it will have moved away from that spot by the time the ball gets there. That's very simplistic, but should give some idea of the sort of things involved. Clear as mud?
13. same way as you find your way from home to the high street. it is called navigation. we on earthare not standing still.
14. SIMPLE !!! the answer is in the seat .. one just decides or focus with intent Vortex doorway ......opens .. then.... closes ..once vessel is trough . WARP 7 et voila' .... vous etes arrive' !!! thank you .. finally a fun question !!!!
15. they use google earth