The companies Sodern and Safran Electronics & Defense have created a stellar sight, which was authorized last week by the General Directorate of Armaments, according to information from Europe 1. If the accuracy of the device, which allows s 'orienting thanks to the stars even in broad daylight is slightly less than that of GPS, its reliability is however much better.
EUROPE INFO 1
Guiding yourself with the stars is an ancestral practice.
On the other hand, finding one's way thanks to these stars in broad daylight is totally unexpected.
It is a 100% French invention by Sodern, the world leader in star finders and Safran Electronics & Defense.
According to our information, the Directorate General of Armaments gave the green light last week to develop and use this tool, which exists for the moment in the form of a prototype.
It is intended for the Armies for their transport planes, initially.
The stars spotted even in broad daylight
It's the surefire way to know where you are when the plane's GPS is scrambled.
This inconvenience happens more and more often, in particular during military flights over certain countries, where the slightest error in precise location can prove to be very delicate during certain sensitive military operations.
>> Find all the newspapers of the editorial staff of Europe 1 in replay and podcast here
Its size varies from that of a magnum of champagne to that of a small can.
The tests, barely completed, are conclusive: the star finder spotted them, in broad daylight, both in the atmosphere and on a roof in the Parisian suburbs, in the midst of thick pollution.
A thousand satellites already equipped
How does this system work?
“It's a camera that looks at the sky,” explains Franck Poirier, CEO of Sodern.
"This camera is capable of sorting between sunlight and starlight. By keeping only the stars, on arrival, from the location of four, five, six stars, to be deduced with precision. important what our position is. "
Almost as precise as a GPS, this star finder, already installed on nearly a thousand satellites, could one day be taken on board helicopters, drones, even missiles.
It will eventually be installed on civilian boats or vehicles.
Its reliability is total against the GPS, very easy to jam.
Its deployment on military aircraft is scheduled for 2025.