Ken Shirriff examines the electromechanical angle computer inside the B-52 bomber's Astro Compass star tracker. The device, built in the 1950s, automates celestial navigation by mechanically solving the navigational triangle using a metal half-sphere, gears, motors, and feedback mechanisms — eliminating the need for manual star sighting and calculation. It outputs headings accurate to a tenth of a degree and predates GPS-based navigation by decades.
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