Got GPS?

GPS abbreviates the Global Positioning System, a satellite-based navigation system developed by the US military and funded by the United States Department of Defense. .

The GPS system operates from earth satellites placed into orbit that send signals to receivers. The receiver is remarkable little device. It gives accurate information about the position, velocity and time of objects that are moving anywhere on the planet. People find GPS navigation particularly helpful to use when they want to get from one place to another in unfamiliar territory, the user just types-in the destination information and the device automatically tells them how to get from where they are to where they want to be.

In other words, a person doesn't have to worry about getting lost. This is really great news since so many of us are directionally challenged. Thanks to satellites, the roaming made-made “eyes of the sky” you will always be there to find where you are. They will even show you the way you need to go, should you simply own one of these devices and care to ask. In fact, you can get verbal directions to the destination of your choice with the push of a button, should you be the type that is too busy doing something else to pay attention to a map and written instructions.

The cost of maintaining this ‘global” system is currently $400,000,000.00 US dollars yearly for the US government, aka taxpayers, who maintains the system, but it can be used free of charge by anyone who purchases a device, much they way the Internet is used. (The Internet is free to use.... for the cost of purchasing and maintaining a computer.) Because of it’s great usefulness in helping people find their way around the earth or keeping track of where they are, GPS is quickly becoming a household word. They are however, still and foremost technologies developed for the military, they have just so happen to have been made available for private use.

As mentioned, the GPS as a whole is operated by the US military and for them it has a special name, “NAVSTAR.” The general public can access the system, only because it has what is called “selective deniability functions.” This means that part of it';s function is limited when it comes to the use of the general public. NAVSTAR Command has the ability to specifically jam civilian GPS units and can do so in select areas, such as in a war zone. They also maintain a function that would allow the military to completely disable reception and allow military use only.

This feature of the system has other nations concerned and has motivated them to produce their own satellite projects. The European project is called the Galileo Positioning System. (Because it’s acronym is also GPS, it is called Galileo, and never abbreviated GPS.) The Russians plan one called GLONASS. Other countries like China, India Canada, Australia and Mexico may be implementing their own too, because as you can imagine, this kind of system could prove to be very useful to the governments, especially once everyone in the world gets on board.