Global positioning system (GPS) is a technology that allows a receiver to pick up information about its own position and velocity (speed and direction) from satellites in medium Earth orbit. It can provide three dimensional data up to an accuracy of 10 metres. It is officially called NAVSTAR GPS (NAVigation Satellite And Ranging Global Positioning System). GPS was developed by the US Department of Defense.
The GPS system can be divided into 3 main parts: The user segment (US) consisting of the user's GPS receiver; the control segment (CS) consisting of US Air Force bases; and the space segment (SS) which consists of the 24 orbiting satellites distributed over 6 orbits, and 6 spare.
GPS receivers come in a variety of formats including car navigation, hand held device for hikers or trekkers, devices embedded into watches and other specialty uses.
The GPS technology uses a complex combination of constancy of the speed of light, the equivalence principle, the Sagnac effect, time dilation, gravitational frequency shifts, and relativity of synchronization to combat many of the physical effects inherent in the system.
The first satellite was launched in 1978 and now over two dozen satellites are available.
The system is vital for navigation, map-making, and land surveying. It can also be used to provide time references for the study of earthquakes or to synchronize telecommunications networks. It can be used in military applications for precise delivery of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions as well as helping in logistics and nuclear detonation detection.
Launched in 1978, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only functional global navigational satellite system. It consists of 30 satellites in orbit around the Earth at approximately 20.200km, which transmit signals allowing receivers to determine their location, speed and direction.
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