What is GPS?
The Global Positioning System, usually called GPS (the US military refers to it as NAVSTAR GPS - Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging Global Positioning System), is the only currently operational satellite navigation system.
Satellite Navigation Systems can be used for determining one's precise location and providing a highly accurate time reference almost anywhere on Earth or in Earth orbit. The accuracy of the GPS signal itself is about 5 meters (16 ft) as of 2005 and has steadily improved over the last 15 years. Using differential GPS and other error-correcting techniques, the accuracy can be improved to about 1 cm (.4 in) over short distances.
The GPS system was designed by and is controlled by the United States Department of Defense and can be used by anyone, free of charge. The GPS system is divided into three segments: space, control and user. The space segment comprises the GPS satellite constellation of at least 24 satellites in an intermediate circular orbit (ICO) . The control segment comprises ground stations around the world that are responsible for monitoring the flight paths of the GPS satellites, synchronizing the satellites' onboard atomic clocks, and uploading data for transmission by the satellites. The user segment consists of GPS receivers used for both military and civilian applications. A GPS receiver decodes time signal transmissions from multiple satellites and calculates its position by trilateration.
Daily management of the GPS satellite constellation is conducted by the 2d Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base. The cost of maintaining the system is approximately US $400 million per year, including the replacement of aging satellites. The first GPS satellite was launched in February 1978, and the most recent launch was in September 2005. The oldest GPS satellite still in operation was launched in February 1989 (Wikipedia, 2006-01-17).
