2. History
1960
April 13 The first navigation satellite TRANSIT
IB is launched for use by the U.S. Navy in order
to locate ballistic missile submarines and ships.
May 15 Drs. Ivan Getting and Shep Arikin of
Raytheon propose a radio-navigation system
called MOSAIC (Mobile System for Accurate
ICBM(intercontinental ballistic missiles) Control)
to the U.S. Air Force.
3. History (Part 2)
1964-1966
Aerospace scientists and engineers conduct
a series of satellite navigation studies within
the company’s Systems Planning Division.
These studies arrive at the operational
concept for GPS as we know it today.(Tell
you your location)
4. History (Part 3)
1978
Block I comprised 10 developmental
satellites launched from 1978 through 1989.
1983
May 20 The Air Force signs a $1.2 billion
contract for the production of 28 GPS Block II
satellites with Rockwell Space Systems.
5. History (Part 4)
September A Korean civilian airliner is shot
down by Russian fighters after accidentally
intruding into Soviet air space.
To prevent any such tragedy from happening
again, President Ronald Reagan declassifies
NAVSTAR; GPS becomes available to
civilians.
6. History (Part 5)
1991
The Persian Gulf War enables American
military forces to validate the usefulness of
GPS in combat situations.
Although not fully operational, GPS allows
the military to obtain accurate coordinates in
the featureless Iraqi desert and to achieve a
quick victory.
7. History (Part 6)
1994
January 17 The last of the Block IIA satellites
is launched, completing the GPS
constellation.
1995
April 27 Air Force Space Command declares
the Block II NAVSTAR GPS constellation fully
operational.
8. Arrangement and Numbers of
Satellites
The GPS system consists of 24 earth –
orbiting satellites.
4 satellites are in each of 6 different orbital
planes
Each has an inclination of 55 degrees with
respect to the earth’s equator.
9. How GPS has supported relativity
It has supported it because of the General
Relativity Theory.
The clocks on GPS satellites look like they
are going slower from our perspective here
on earth.
10. How GPS has supported
Relativivivity
This would be a problem, but scientists are
able to build systems into the satellite that
allows it to correct itself by 45 microseconds
per day.
