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What Is GPS?: Gps (Global Positioning System)

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system that provides geolocation and time information to users worldwide, operated by the U.S. government. It consists of three components: satellites, ground stations, and receivers, utilizing trilateration to determine precise locations. GPS has various applications, including navigation, tracking, mapping, and timing, and is accessible to both military and civilian users globally.

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35 views6 pages

What Is GPS?: Gps (Global Positioning System)

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system that provides geolocation and time information to users worldwide, operated by the U.S. government. It consists of three components: satellites, ground stations, and receivers, utilizing trilateration to determine precise locations. GPS has various applications, including navigation, tracking, mapping, and timing, and is accessible to both military and civilian users globally.

Uploaded by

Rajveer Mander
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GPS (GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)

What is GPS?
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. It is a radio navigation system used in land,
sea, and air to determine the exact location, time and velocity irrespective of weather
conditions.

History of Global Positioning System (GPS)


The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radio-
navigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United
States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that
provides geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver anywhere on or near the
Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. It does
not require the user to transmit any data, and operates independently of any telephonic
or Internet reception, though these technologies can enhance the usefulness of the GPS
positioning information. It provides critical positioning capabilities to military, civil, and
commercial users around the world. Although the United States government created,
controls and maintains the GPS system, it is freely accessible to anyone with a GPS
receiver.
The GPS project was started by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1973. The first
prototype spacecraft was launched in 1978 and the full constellation of 24 satellites
became operational in 1994.

Components of a GPS system


GPS is a system and it is made up of three parts: satellites, ground
stations, and receivers.

Following are the functionalities of each of these parts:

 Satellites act like the stars in constellations, and we know where they are
because they invariably send out signals.
 The ground stations make use of the radar to make sure the satellites are
actually where we think they are.
 A receiver is a device that you might find in your phone or in your car and it
constantly seeks for the signals from the satellites. The receiver figures out how
far away they are from some of them. Once the receiver calculates its distance
from four or more satellites, it knows exactly where you are.

How GPS Works?


There are at least 4 GPS satellites in the line of sight of a receiver on the earth. The
transmitter GPS sends information about the position and time to the receiver GPS at
fixed intervals. The signals that are sent to the receiver devices are radio waves. By
finding the difference in time between the signal sent from the GPS satellite to the time
the GPS receives, the distance between the GPS receiver and the satellite can be
calculated. Using the trilateration process, the receiver locates its position as the signals
are obtained from at least three satellites.
For a GPS to calculate a 2-D position, which includes the latitude and longitude, a
minimum of 3 satellites are required. For a 3-D position that provides latitude,
longitude, and altitude, a minimum of 4 satellites are needed.
What Is Trilateration?

Trilateration is defined as the process of determining the location based on the


intersections of the spheres. The distance between the satellite and the receiver is
calculated by considering a 3-D sphere such that the satellite is located at the centre of
the sphere. Using the same method, the distance for all the 3 GPS satellites from the
receiver is calculated.

Following are the parameters that are calculated after trilateration:

 Time of sunrise and the sunset


 Speed
 Distance between the GPS receiver to the destination
GPS systems are remarkably versatile and can be found in almost any industry
sector. They can be used to map forests, help farmers harvest their fields and navigate
aeroplanes on the ground or in the air.
Various Parts of GPS

Space Segment:
GPS consists of a network of 24 active satellites located nearly 20000 kilometers above
the Earth’s surface. Each satellite broadcasts different signals which can be tracked by a
GPS receiver on earth, which are then analyzed by the GPS receiver to determine its
precise location. The signals operate in all weather conditions but can’t penetrate
through solid objects, so GPS receivers perform best when they have a clear view of the
sky.

Control Segment:
GPS contains a control segment that has a system of tracking stations located around
the world. The master control facility is located at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado.
Its receivers come in all different shapes and sizes, are widespread, and are affordable.
Today, GPS receivers can be found in watches, phones, tablets, computers, cars, and a
wide variety of other devices. This segment consists of:

 A master control station


 An alternate master control station
 Six dedicated monitor stations
 Four dedicated ground stations

Working Principle of GPS


 The GPS network comprises 24 satellites that are deployed approximately 19,300
kilometres above the Earth’s surface. They circle the Earth at an incredibly fast
speed of around 11,200 km / h (once every 12 hours). The satellites are evenly
spaced so that four satellites can be seen with a clear line of sight from
anywhere in the globe.
 Each satellite is fitted with a computer, radio and an atomic clock. With
knowledge of its orbit and the clock, it constantly transmits its shifting place and
time.
 GPS makes use of the triangulation method to identify the user’s location.
Triangulation is a mechanism in which a GPS first establishes a working and
receiving information link with 3 to 4 satellites. The satellite then transmits one
piece of message information, including the receiver ‘s location.
 If the receiver already has a computer screen showing a map, then the position
can be shown on the monitor.
 If a fourth satellite can be accessed, the receiver may measure both the altitude
and the geographical position.
 Your receiver will also calculate your travel speed and direction if you are
travelling and give you approximate arrival times to specific locations.

Applications of GPS
The GPS is used in technology to provide data that has never been available before,
with the amount and degree of precision that the GPS makes possible. Researchers use
the GPS to measure the change in the arctic ice shift, Earth’s tectonic plates and
volcanic activity.
There are five main uses of GPS:

 Location — Determining a position.


 Navigation — Getting from one location to another.
 Tracking — Monitoring object or personal movement.
 Mapping — Creating maps of the world.
 Timing — Making it possible to take precise time measurements.
Across the globe the GPS provides critical positioning capabilities to military,
commercial and civil users.
Global Position System of India and Other
Countries
The countries that have their own GPS or navigation system of satellites are India,
Japan, USA, Russia, China and European Union. However, the number of satellites and
the area that they can cover is different for each of the above-mentioned countries.

India
A group of 7 satellites that provides Global positioning system (GPS) service in India is
the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) also known as NavIC
(Navigation with Indian Constellation). Apart from giving coverage in entire India, its
coverage extends upto a distance of 1500 km from India.

1. Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) of Japan – It is a regional satellite


system covering Asia-Oceania region apart from Japan.
2. BeiDou of China – Asia-Pacific region is its area of coverage.
3. GLONASS of Russia – It has a group of 24 satellites providing the required
information.
4. Galileo of European Union – Became operational in 2016, with a constellation
of 30 satellites.
5. GPS of United States of America (USA) – It is a grouping of 32 satellites. It
has been in operation since 1978. It is the World’s most used GPS system..

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