Global Positioning System

Artist's conception of GPS Block II-F satellite in orbit

Civilian GPS receiver ("GPS navigation device") in a marine application.

Automotive navigation system in a taxicab.

GPS receivers are now integrated in many mobile phones.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a U.S. space-based global navigation satellite
system. It provides reliable positioning, navigation, and timing services to worldwide users
on a continuous basis in all weather, day and night, anywhere on or near the Earth which
has an unobstructed view of four or more GPS satellites.
GPS is made up of three segments: Space, Control and User. The Space Segment is
composed of 24 to 32 satellites in Medium Earth Orbit and also includes the boosters
required to launch them into orbit. The Control Segment is composed of a Master Control
Station, an Alternate Master Control Station, and a host of dedicated and shared Ground
Antennas and Monitor Stations. The User Segment is composed of hundreds of thousands
of U.S. and allied military users of the secure GPS Precise Positioning Service, and tens of
millions of civil, commercial and scientific users of the Standard Positioning Service (see
GPS navigation devices). GPS satellites broadcast signals from space that GPS receivers
use to provide three-dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude) plus precise
time.
GPS has become a widely used aid to navigation worldwide, and a useful tool for mapmaking, land surveying, commerce, scientific uses, tracking and surveillance, and hobbies
such as geocaching (an outdoor activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning
System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called
"geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof
container (usually a tupperware or ammo box) containing a logbook. Larger containers
can also contain items for trading, usually toys or trinkets of little value. Geocaching is
most often described as a "game of high-tech hide and seek", sharing many aspects with
orienteering, treasure-hunting, and waymarking) and waymarking (an activity in which
people can locate and log unique and interesting locations around the world, usually with a
GPS receiver and a digital camera. Waymarking differs from geocaching in that there is no
physical container to locate at the given coordinates. Waymarking identifies points of
interest for GPS users. There are many categories of waymarks, from pay phones through
various restaurant chains, covered bridges, churches, places where one can take a factory
tour and places of geologic significance, to name only a few. Participation in waymarking
leads some to become more knowledgeable of their own areas and to become interested in
local history).
Also, the precise time reference is used in many applications including the scientific study
of earthquakes and as a time synchronization source for cellular network protocols.
GPS has become a mainstay of transportation systems worldwide, providing navigation for
aviation, ground, and maritime operations. Disaster relief and emergency services depend
upon GPS for location and timing capabilities in their life-saving missions. The accurate
timing that GPS provides facilitates everyday activities such as banking, mobile phone
operations, and even the control of power grids. Farmers, surveyors, geologists and
countless others perform their work more efficiently, safely, economically, and accurately
using the free and open GPS signals.