How Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) Work - Part 2
The GPS Satellites
The first satellite launches made their debut in 1978 but in 1989 it’s second-generation or ‘Block II’ was brought into being - the second set of satellites. Recent GPS technology is made up of at least 24 Block II satellites. In 1995 the Global Positioning Satellites were deemed fully operational.
MANPACK GPS Receiver
The PSN-8 or ‘Manpack’ portable GPS unit was the first GPS receiver available to soldiers in the field and from the year 1988 to 1993 about 1400 of these satellite communication devices were manufactured.
In 1993 the Manpack would be superceded by the newer hand held Precision Lightweight or PLGR GPS Receive. This little device would come to be known as the ‘Plugger’ and was a little bit like the civilian receivers we use today, the difference being that they were able to use more precise GPS signals.
How GPS Went Global
Originally Global Positioning Satellites were designed so that ordinary people like you and me, would not be able to obtain the same accuracy as the military did but it is reported that both civilian as well as military applications were intended for GPS systems right from its inception.
In 1983 the Korean Flight 007 crash was determine to have been ‘preventable’ had the on-board crew had more advanced navigational tools at their disposal - and it was at this juncture that President Ronald Reagan issued a directive guaranteeing that GPS signals would be available (free of charge) to the global community. It was this foresight that led to a booming commercial market for GPS technology and its many applications today.
A phase of steady growth ensued with a growing number of both civilian and military users making use of Global Positioning Satellites in the 1990’s but it was during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 that it became a household name. GPS technology was used so frequently to aid the conflict resolution that military equipped systems became scarce.
To buffer the situation, the Department of Defense used civilian GPS systems and altered the transmissions to allow civilian receivers access to more precise military signals.
