When was gps launched

Used in your car to navigate traffic or by your smartphone to offer more accurate and customized web search results, GPS is a technology we have become so comfortable with, we often take it for granted. In total, there are at least 24 operational satellites in the GPS constellation, with additional satellites in reserve that can be activated when needed. As of May , GPS. The satellites circle the Earth two times a day at 20, km 12, miles up. The U. What started off as a method of studying the Earth from space quickly grew into a universal technology utilized by nearly every country in the world.

One of the major milestones was the ending of Selective Availability SA in , which allowed civilians access to more precise GPS readings and opened the door to new technology advancements. The first portable GPS receiver developed for consumers was made by electronic navigation company Magellan. The inaugural device, the NAV , weighed in at 1. At the time, the high cost of satellite navigation meant that outside the military, only freight, delivery and select other companies could afford to use systems.

These days, portable GPS tracking is much more affordable. For example, GPS is essential to fleet management , especially for tracking vehicle location and driving behavior with telematics , as well as routing and dispatching. As the capabilities of technology continue to expand, one can only imagine what GPS technology will look like in the future.

Using physical maps or asking strangers for directions is now a thing of the past. New navigation systems will power businesses and government services around the world. Looking forward, the U. Geotab's blog posts are intended to provide information and encourage discussion on topics of interest to the telematics community at large.

Geotab is not providing technical, professional or legal advice through these blog posts. Those errors called Selective Availability can still be reintroduced in combat zones, so only friendly forces receive the highly accurate signal. GPS augmentation and precise monitoring techniques known as carrier-phase enhancement, differential GPS and relative kinematic positioning can now provide accuracy down to 4 inches. GPS is integrated into so many devices today, it's as ubiquitous as cellphones.

We use GPS to navigate our car trips and manage fleets of taxicabs, trucks, buses and rental cars. First responders and package-delivery services rely on GPS. Airplanes fly with it. Fishing boats find their way to rich waters with it. Researchers track wildlife with it, and we even find our way down wilderness trails with it. Henry David Thoreau would have been amazed. Collier Trophy, the most prestigious aviation award in the United States.

This team consists of researchers from the Naval Research Laboratory, the U. Contact Fleetistics Company. Email Address. Fleet Size. Facebook Twitter. GPS History.

GPS Satellite Explained. GO Rugged.