New Horizons proved deep-space navigation using stellar parallax

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft successfully demonstrated deep-space navigation using stellar parallax, paving the way for autonomous navigation in future interstellar missions. The spacecraft, 438 million miles from Earth, captured images of Proxima Centauri and Wolf 359, which appeared shifted compared to Earth's view. This allowed scientists to calculate New Horizons' position to within 4.1 million miles, a groundbreaking achievement. This test, using the principle of stellar parallax, could be crucial for future deep-space missions. New Horizons, already in interstellar space, continues to study the heliosphere after its Pluto flyby in 2015.