GPS—The Most Precise Navigation System Ever Invented

The Global Positioning System, or GPS, can show you your exact position on Earth any time, anywhere, in any weather. The system consists of a constellation of 24 satellites (with about 6 "spares") that orbit 11,000 nautical miles above Earth’s surface and continuously send signals to ground stations that monitor and control GPS operations.

GPS satellite signals can also be detected by GPS receivers, which calculate their locations anywhere on Earth within less than a meter by determining distances from at least three GPS satellites. No other navigation system has ever been so global or so accurate.

First launched in 1978, the development of a global navigation system dates back to the 1960s when The Aerospace Corporation was a principal participant in the conception and development of GPS, a technology that has significantly enhanced the capabilities of our nation’s military and continues to find new uses and applications in daily life. We’ve helped build GPS into one of history’s most exciting and revolutionary technologies and continue to participate in its ongoing operation and enhancement.