Uses of GPS Technology
Samantha Walter
Tony Fernandez
What is GPS?

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a
U.S.-owned utility that provides users
with positioning, navigation, and timing
(PNT) services. This system consists of
three segments: the space segment, the
control segment, and the user segment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30KfPtHec4s
(2:00)

Space Segment

The GPS space segment consists of a
constellation of satellites transmitting
radio signals to users. The Air Force
manages the constellation to ensure the
availability of at least 24 GPS satellites,
95% of the time.
Control Segment

The GPS control segment consists of a
global network of ground facilities that
track the GPS satellites, monitor their
transmissions, perform analyses, and send
commands and data to the constellation.
User Segment

The free, open, and dependable nature of
GPS has led to the development of
hundreds of applications affecting every
aspect of modern life. GPS technology is
now in everything from cell phones and
wristwatches to bulldozers, shipping
containers, and ATM's.
History of GPS

GPS technology was made possible by a
combination of scientific and engineering
advances, particularly development of the
world's most accurate timepieces: atomic
clocks that are precise to within a
billionth of a second.

Soviet Union launched Sputnik on
October 4, 1957, it was recognized that
this "artificial star" could be used as a
navigational tool.

Positions on the ground could be
determined by homing in on the signals
broadcast by satellites.

In the years that followed, the U.S. Navy
experimented with a series of satellite
navigation systems

In 1965 the Transit system was developed
to meet the navigational needs of
submarines

In 1973, the Department of Defense was
looking for a foolproof method of satellite
navigation. They came up with the concept of
GPS on the basis of the department's
experience with all its satellite predecessors.

The first operational GPS satellite was
launched in 1978, and the system reached
full 24-satellite capability in 1993.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOwMkFsJXRI
(2:00)


Since then, GPS technology has moved
into the civilian sector.

In just a few short years, applications for
GPS already have become almost limitless
Mapping/Surveying

The surveying and mapping community was
one of the first to take advantage of GPS
because it dramatically increased
productivity and resulted in more accurate
and reliable data.

GPS supports the accurate mapping and
modeling of the physical world — from
mountains and rivers to streets and buildings
to utility lines and other resources.

Features measured with GPS can be
displayed on maps and in geographic
information systems (GIS) that store,
manipulate, and display geographically
referenced data.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7tK9CjRmIo&list=
FLdShBEYmIgoDn34bi1vVA9w&index=1&feature=plpp_
video
(6:46)


GPS surveying is not bound by constraints
such as line-of-sight visibility between
survey stations.

Land surveyors and mappers can carry
GPS systems in backpacks or mount them
on vehicles to allow rapid, accurate data
collection.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSOXEBAtRec
(5:43)

GPS Jamming
 radio frequency
transmitters that
intentionally block, jam,
or interfere with lawful
communications, such
as cell phone calls, text
messages, GPS
systems, and Wi-Fi
networks.
GPS Jamming
 Jamming cell phones and GPS
equipment is against the law
 it is a violation of federal law to use a
cell jammer or similar devices that
intentionally block, jam, or interfere
with authorized radio communications
such as cell phones, police radar,
GPS, and Wi-Fi.
GPS Jamming
 A single violation of
the jamming
prohibition can result
in tens of thousands
of dollars in monetary
penalties, seizure of
the illegal device, and
imprisonment.
References
"Surveying & Mapping." GPS.gov: Survey & Mapping Applications. National Coordination Office for
Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing, 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 15 Aug. 2012.
<http://www.gps.gov/applications/survey/>.
Taubes, Gary. "GPS: The Role of Atomic Clocks." Beyond Discovery. National Academy of Sciences, n.d.
Web. 15 Aug. 2012. <http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/content/view.page.asp?I=1275>.