hackingbear writes: After launching the world’s first quantum communication satellite this year, China today successfully launched the world’s first pulsar-based navigation satellite (Warning: may be paywalled, alternate source), which will conduct in-orbit experiments using pulsar detectors to demonstrate new technologies. The X-ray pulsar navigation satellite XPNAV-1 was sent skyward at 7:42 AM (local time) atop a Long March 11 solid-fueled rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China’s northwest. China’s new system is expected to be a significant improvement over the earth-based systems currently used by spacecraft as it would eliminate the time delay with sending signals back to Earth and processing.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Source: Slashdot – China Launches World’s First Pulsar Navigation Satellite