The 300-year-old tool helping stranded astronauts get home

For Mars missions, those navigation points may include asteroids, Holt says. “We would say [to the astronaut]We expect the asteroid to be halfway between the two main stars in Gemini, so look there, find that asteroid between those two stars, take its readings, then compare it to expectations and do the calculations. “If the readings are not correct, the astronauts correct course to get to where they want to be.