Global Positioning Systems (Space Science, Exploration and Policies)

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) developed by the United States Department of Defense and managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing. It is the only fully functional GNSS in the world, can be used freely by anyone, anywhere, and is often used by civilians for navigation purposes. It uses a constellation of between 24 and 32 medium Earth orbit satellites that transmit precise radio-wave signals, which allow GPS receivers to determine their current location, the time, and their velocity. Since it became fully operational on April 27, 1995, GPS has become a widely used aid to navigation world-wide, and a useful tool for map-making, land surveying, commerce, scientific uses, tracking and surveillance, and hobbies such as geocaching. Also, the precise time reference is used in many applications including the scientific study of earthquakes. This book gathers the latest research from around the globe in this dynamic field.