What
is GPS?
GPS stands for Global
Positioning System. The
Global Positioning System is a constellation of satellites that
orbit the earth twice a day, transmitting precise time and
position (latitude, longitude and altitude) information.
With a GPS receiver, users can determine their location anywhere
on the Earth. Position and navigation information is vital
to a broad range of professional and personal activities,
including hiking, hunting, camping, boating, surveying,
aviation, national defense, vehicle tracking, navigation and
more.
The
complete system consists of 24 satellites orbiting about 12,000
miles above the Earth, and five ground stations to monitor and
manage the satellite constellation. These satellites
provide 24-hour-a-day coverage for both two-and three-
dimensional positioning anywhere on Earth. Development
of the $10 billion GPS satellite navigation system was begun in
the 1970s by the US Department of Defense, which continues to
manage the system, to provide continuous, worldwide positioning
and navigation data to US military forces around the globe.
However, GPS has an even broader civilian, commercial
application.
- Frequently
Asked Questions
- Time
Management & GPS
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