22 The Global Positioning System
Lauren Zarrella
22.1 Introduction
Keywords
- Aviation- the flying and operating of aircraft
- Constellations- a group of stars forming a pattern
- Satellite- artificial bodies placed in space to collect information
- Sputnik- the first satellite to successfully orbit Earth in 1957
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
- Understand what the Global Positioning System is and how it has evolved over time
- Understand the pros and cons of the Global Positioning System on the Millennial generation
- Describe how the Global Positioning System is still used today
Have you ever wondered how hard it would be to go to a place for the first time without any sort of directions? Using a compass and a paper map like people did back in the days is not the easiest and most convenient thing to do. Thankfully, the Global Positioning System was created to make our lives a lot easier. Most people in our society today use the Global Positioning System (GPS) to navigate their everyday lives, but do we really know how this piece of technology works?
The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based navigation system that was first created in 1973 by the Department of Defense. (DoD). It was originally created for military use, but soon became accessible to the public. The Millennial generation has been greatly impacted by this technology as it has evolved greatly and is still being used today. This chapter will focus on what the Global Positioning System is, how and why it came to be, its impact on the Millennial generation, and how it is still used today. The Global Positioning System has changed the way Millennials communicate and navigate their lives while it also has created some adverse consequences such as terrorism.
22.2 What is the Global Positioning System?
Key Takeaway
The Global Positioning System is a satellite-based navigation system and precise-positioning tool that was first created by the Department of Defense (DoD) in 1973. The GPS consists of three segments: the space segment, the control segment, and the user segment. The space segment consists of 24 satellites, artificial bodies placed in space to collect information, that orbit 20,200 km above the earth. These satellites are divided into six groups of four to make sure they can be detected anywhere on Earth’s surface. The control segment tracks the GPS satellites, monitors the transmissions made by the satellites, analyzes the data, and sends commands to constellations, a group of stars forming a pattern. The user segment includes any type of device or equipment that receives the signals.
“Control Segment “ by United States Government is in the Public Domain
“User Segment” by United States Government is in the Public Domain
The Global Positioning System was originally created by the United States for military purposes such as determining a location in vehicles, planes, and ships. On December 8, 1993, the Global Positioning System