Gps Know Yourself

CHAPTER 1 WELCOME TO GPS !!!

A typical scene from conflict in Afghanistan, where for the first time space-specifically, more than 100 orbiting satellites has been a centerpiece of war machine.

A soldier on the ground spots Taliban target, with a handheld lightweight global positioning system (GPS) receiver known as “Plugger”, he uses the constellation of GPS satellites to calculate longitude and latitude of his mark and phones in coordinates, via satellites, to an airbase in Florida. From there, an alert is send to commanders in Saudi Arabia, who direct a predator drone to fly over the Taliban site and relay real-time video of the scene – again, via satellite. The target is approved for bombing, a B-52 pilot, cruising more than 20000ft overhead, safely out of range of antiaircraft missiles, punches the GPS coordinates into computer of a Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) bomb before releasing it. The bomb uses its own GPS receiver to careen toward target, exploding within a few feet of it. The whole process takes few minutes and not days as in previous war cases. And the $20000 JDAM bomb is a bargain compared to a $100000 and already old fashioned Laser Guided Bomb, which find difficulty in finding their paths through the dust, clouds, and smoke.

OR imagine being an archaeologist on an expedition in the deserts of Rajasthan. After preparing for a trip for months, you are certain that somewhere close by are the ruins of villages once populated by Indians. The desert is vast, and sun is hot. The only way you can record where you are or find your way back to civilization is by using the almost magic power of your GPS receiver.

There will probably a time soon when every car on the road can be equipped with a GPS receiver, including a video screen installed in the dashboard. The in-dash monitor will be a full-color display showing your location and a map of the roads around you. It will probably monitor your car’s performance and...