Auto Accessories: The GPS DeviceThe GPS system is best thought of as a space-based global navigation system. It offers both time and location information no matter what the weather. The system is maintained by the US government and was originally created by the US Department of Defense. The system functions by offering satellite signals that are coded and can be processed through a GPS receiver. The GPS receiver can then calculate position, speed and time. Originally, GPS was designed for military purposes, but it has since branched out into becoming a dual-use technology, meaning it has civilian purposes, too. It has become quite popular nowadays, and it is used by civilians in applications like emergency services, cellular telephony, navigation in cars to help people with driving directions, tectonics, recreation like waymarking, and mapmaking. The military also uses it today for purposes like reconnaissance and search and rescue. The following will cover the broad aspects of GPS, from its development to the makers behind the technology. GPS Early Navigation The concept of navigation has been with mankind since primitive times, since mankind needed to figure out how to get to specific destinations. The earliest mariners had a technique for navigation: They would just follow the coastline closely to prevent themselves from becoming lost; when they discovered that they could navigate through using the stars, they were able to sail into the open seas. Major navigational developments over time before the GPS device was invented include the compass as well as the sextant. A compass informed travelers where they were going because of the needle always pointing to true North, while a sextant employed adjustable mirrors to measure the bodies in the sky. History of Navigation The Art of Navigation Tools for Early Navigation A History of Navigation Early Navigation in History The History of Navigation Cortes and Navigation Early Navigational Beacons Navigation GPS Development GPS is the most exact navigation system ever invented because it can show a person's position on the planet in any weather and in any location. The GPS system was first launched in 1978, yet its development goes back all the way to the 1960s when the Aerospace Corporation started Project 57. Project 57 was started to determine if space systems had any military applications. When the Air Force took over the Project, they changed its name to Project 621B and continued the mission of the Project, which was to find out navigation coordinates from the signals of satellites. 1983 was when the NAVSTAR system was revealed to the general public, which was unavoidable because one of its satellites shot down a commercial airplane. This system was the start of the current GPS system, and between 1989 and 1997, 28 satellites were released to make a GPS system that was complete. An introduction to GPS Navigation Services - Global Positioning System GPS Timeline History of GPS Development The GPS Revolution Overview of GPS Development A Look Back at GPS The History of GPS How GPS Devices Work