The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system consisting of 31 satellites used to calculate positions on Earth. GPS uses trilateration to determine a receiver's location based on distance measurements to at least four satellites, with one providing a time reference. Sources of GPS error include the ionosphere, troposphere, geometry of satellites, clock errors, and signal multi-path effects. GPS has both military and civilian uses including navigation, mapping, vehicle tracking, and time synchronization.