inertial navigation submarines position without GPS

Submarines can navigate without GPS

An inertial navigation system works out a submarine’s position from its motion sensors, without outside information once aligned. Weather and jamming do not disrupt it. But small errors build over time, so the system needs occasional position fixes.

A trench held off a much larger force

At the Battle of the Trench in Medina in 627, about 3,000 Muslim defenders used a trench across approaches open to cavalry. They held off a coalition of about 10,000 for two weeks, until it withdrew.

The Gateway Arch's tram cars tilt to stay level inside its curved legs

Visitors traveling to the top of St. Louis's Gateway Arch ride in small enclosed tram compartments. Because the track curves as it climbs, the cars use a leveling mechanism to keep passengers upright. The unusual system combines features of an elevator and a Ferris wheel to follow a structure that is neither straight nor vertical.

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inertial navigation submarines position without GPS

Submarines can navigate without GPS

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