How does a cruise missile know where to go?
In: Technology
There are lots of fancy systems as mentioned in other posts… including GPS, but the main component is the same as any other flying odject (include the ones that took us to the moon and back)… IGS or Inertial Guidence System.
Basically it is a bunch of gyroscopes connected to measuring devices and a simple computer. You program in where it is starting from, and where it is going to, and its weight and so on… and then you let it rip. The IGS can tell by the amount force excerted in every direction and for how long, exactly how far the missile has travelled and in what direction. To give you an idea of how accurate it is… back in the 60’s when it was developed, the very first test flight went from New York to LA with the windows blacked out and no other method of nav on board, and when they thought they were close they pulled off the curtains and found themselves within a couple of miles of LAX. Obviously it has improved since then.
The Cruise has another system that uses radar etc for tracking the profile of the ground so that it can fly really low… and a third system using cameras to track the target right at the end which they can use for both stationary and moving targets.
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