Final answer:
The attitude indicator's gyroscope is aligned horizontally and indicates orientation in space, using precession to maintain its direction despite external forces and accelerations.
Step-by-step explanation:
A horizontally aligned gyroscope that indicates orientation in space is a feature of the attitude indicator. A gyroscope is a crucial component of navigation systems, especially in spacecraft, missiles, and satellites where magnetic compasses are ineffective. It operates on the principle of conservation of angular momentum, which maintains its axis of rotation constant and resists changes in orientation. A gyroscope's precession is the property that enables it to keep its orientation in space while being subjected to external forces and accelerations. This is the torque's (always horizontal and perpendicular to the angular momentum, L) slow rotation around a vertical axis.
The Earth itself can be thought of as a huge gyroscope, with its angular momentum along its axis pointing towards Polaris, the North Star. Gyroscopes are separated from the main fuselage in vehicles to ensure their orientation is not influenced by movements of the enclosing body. Thanks to this isolation and the principles of precession, the gyroscope can maintain its orientation even when the vehicle is experiencing various forces.