All articles tagged with #gps
Despite last year’s handover of RTX’s GPS OCX ground system, 16 years and about $8 billion later the software remains non-operational, with extensive testing revealing persistent issues across subsystems and lawmakers weighing cancellation as the Space Force considers options to continue with legacy systems or pursue alternatives to enable M-code and GPS III capabilities.
BBC analysis shows about 70,000 under-18s in England are prescribed antidepressants each year, with guidelines urging psychiatrist assessment first. But long waits for specialist help have some GPs prescribing or starting treatment outside guidelines to avoid leaving patients untreated, while others refuse. Antidepressants are used for depression, anxiety, bedwetting and pain and can have side effects; the NHS notes workforce growth but record demand remains, prompting calls for more accompanying mental health support and timely CAMHS access.
New research ties climate-driven water redistribution from melting ice to a measurable slowdown in Earth’s rotation, lengthening the day by about 1.3 milliseconds per century. By analyzing 3.6 million years of benthic foraminifera fossils and deep learning, scientists find this rate is unprecedented in the Quaternary and could, by the end of the century, surpass the Moon’s tidal effect, complicating leap seconds and precise GPS-based navigation.
The US Space Force moved GPS III-8’s launch from ULA’s Vulcan Centaur to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 due to solid rocket booster anomalies on Vulcan; the 10th GPS III satellite is now set to launch no earlier than late April from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with officials stressing flexibility to maintain timely GPS capability while the Vulcan investigation continues.
The U.S. Space Force’s Space Access and SYD 80 teams have swapped the GPS III-8 mission from United Launch Alliance to SpaceX, with a Falcon 9 now set to deliver the final GPS III SV-10 to orbit no earlier than late April from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. ULA will instead handle the USSF-70 mission no earlier than summer 2028. The change aims to maintain rapid, reliable GPS capability while the Vulcan anomaly investigation continues, and there are no announced changes to other manifests.
Facing booster anomalies that grounded ULA's Vulcan, Space Systems Command moved GPS III SV10’s launch to SpaceX's Falcon 9, the fourth GPS mission shifted from ULA to SpaceX in just over a year, highlighting SpaceX's lead in reliable access to space while Vulcan undergoes investigation.
GPS jamming off Iran is creating AIS position distortions near the Strait of Hormuz, making vessels appear on land or in strange clusters and raising collision risks as electronic warfare spills into Gulf waters. While Iran is suspected, there is no official confirmation; researchers use radar and satellite data to map the interference and are pursuing mitigations from anti-jamming antennas to alternative navigation methods (gyroscopes, accelerometers, star-mapping), though no solution is perfect. The episode highlights the vulnerability of open GNSS and the push toward more secure, multi-sensor positioning.
Windward’s analysis shows GPS and AIS interference in the Gulf has disrupted more than 1,100 ships since the Feb. 28 US-Israel strikes on Iran, with vessels appearing inland or near sensitive sites (including the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant). The disruption is largely jamming, though some spoofing is occurring, and about 21 new AIS‑jammed clusters have been identified, prompting officials to call the area “critical” as the conflict expands and navigational risks rise in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.
The Space Force has paused further launches on ULA’s Vulcan rocket while investigators probe a February 2026 booster anomaly—the second such issue after a 2024 carbon‑composite insulator defect—pushing GPS satellite launches toward SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The investigation is expected to last months as officials seek root cause and corrective actions. Meanwhile, GPS modernization continues: 26 of 31 satellites carry the M-code signal and 19 broadcast the higher‑power L5 civil signal, underscoring the value of having multiple launch providers to maintain global coverage amid rising interference and jamming threats.
The U.S. Space Force is swapping launch vehicles for GPS III Space Vehicle 09 and GPS IIIF Space Vehicle 13: SV09 will launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 instead of ULA’s Vulcan, while SV13 moves to Vulcan (from Falcon Heavy). The trade aims to deliver capabilities faster and reduce costs, continuing a pattern of provider swaps to keep GPS deployments on schedule.
The article highlights the increasing risks to GPS systems, crucial for the global economy and navigation, as demonstrated by recent GPS disruptions at Denver International Airport caused by jamming and spoofing, which pose significant security threats to vital networks.
In response to a tragic case where a young woman died from undiagnosed cancer despite multiple GP visits, the NHS has introduced Jess's Rule, urging GPs to re-evaluate patients after three unproductive appointments to prevent missed serious illnesses, especially in young and minority patients.
Fi has launched the Fi Mini, a tiny GPS tracker for pets weighing just 16 grams, featuring real-time tracking, escape alerts, activity and sleep monitoring, and AI behavior detection, compatible with cats and small dogs, with a subscription plan and upcoming Apple Watch integration.
Skechers' AirTag sneakers for kids are not reliable for real-time tracking because AirTags depend on nearby Apple devices to update their location, which can be sporadic and delayed, making them unsuitable for constant surveillance. For continuous tracking, GPS devices are necessary.
Nothing has launched the Watch 3 Pro, an affordable smartwatch with a larger 1.43-inch OLED display, improved heart rate sensor, GPS, and battery life, but it drops the customizable bezels feature. Priced at $99 (currently $79), it offers 131 sports modes, AI coaching, and up to 13 days of battery life, with enhanced GPS accuracy and a new app control center supporting major health platforms.