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• GPS, stands for Global Positioning System, which is the only system today able to show you your exact position on the Earth anytime, in any weather, anywhere. GPS satellites, 24 in all, orbit at 11,000 nautical miles above the Earth. They are continuously monitored by ground stations located worldwide. The satellites transmit signals that can be detected by anyone with a GPS receiver. Using the receiver, you can determine your location with great precision.
• In 1973, the Department of Defense (DOD) began investigating the use of satellites to solve its need for a foolproof method of navigation. During a brainstorming session at the Pentagon, several of the DOD’s top scientists conceived a system of 24 Navstar satellites built by Rockwell International that would transmit their precise locations back to ground receivers. Each satellite is the size of a large automobile and weighs 1,900 pounds. The satellites were deployed so that at least four satellites are always in touch with every point on the planet during their 12-hour orbits. By 1993, all 24 satellites had been launched and the system was fully operational.
• GPS is one of history's most exciting and revolutionary developments, and new uses for it are constantly being discovered.
• Satellites in Space
• Continued:
• GPS has become important for nearly all military operations and weapons systems. In addition, it is used on satellites to obtain highly accurate orbit data and to control spacecraft orientation
• In the last 10 years, the Global Positioning System (GPS) has gone from a highly sensitive government asset to a tool that businesses can use in many innovative ways. As GPS receivers continue to get smaller and require less power, manufacturers are finding ways to mount them in any device that moves or needs to be tracked—everything from cell phones to vehicles to heavy construction equipment.
• Although the technology is very complex, the principles behind the GPS are very simple. As it orbits the earth, every satellite continuously broadcasts its position and time within one billionth of a second. From any point on earth, a GPS receiver synchronizes with four satellites and triangulates its position. The position is given in latitude, longitude, and altitude and can easily be translated into a position on a map using simple mapping software
• The GPS system was developed to meet military needs of the Department of Defense, but new ways to use its capabilities are continually being found. As you have read, the system has been used in aircraft and ships, but there are many other ways to benefit from GPS.
• GPS is also helping to save lives. Many police, fire, and emergency medical service units are using GPS receivers to determine the police car, fire truck, or ambulance nearest to an emergency, enabling the quickest possible response in life-or-death situations.
• Automobile manufacturers are offering moving-map displays guided by GPS receivers as an option on new vehicles.
• Mapping and surveying companies use GPS extensively. In the field of wildlife management, threatened species such as the Mojave Desert tortoise are being fitted with GPS receivers and tiny transmitters to help determine population distribution patterns and possible sources of disease.
• GPS has 3 parts: the space segment, the user segment, and the control segment. The space segment consists of 24 satellites.
The user segment consists of receivers, which you can hold in your hand or mount in your car.
The control segment consists of ground stations (five of them, located around the world) that make sure the satellites are working properly.
• Things to be considered
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منتصر محمد عبدالله
السودان / نهر النيل / شندي
ساحة النقاش