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Gps

All articles tagged with #gps

Relativity at GPS scale: why satellites are clocked slow on the ground
science1 day ago

Relativity at GPS scale: why satellites are clocked slow on the ground

GPS satellites carry atomic clocks that are deliberately set to run slow on the ground so that relativistic effects in orbit bring them to the correct rate; special relativity would slow moving clocks by about 7 microseconds per day, while general relativity would speed them up by about 45 microseconds per day, for a net gain of roughly 38 microseconds per day that would cause ~10 km of positional error daily if uncorrected. The main correction is a ground-based frequency offset (about 10.22999999543 MHz instead of 10.23 MHz) so the clock is right in orbit, with smaller orbital variations corrected by the receiver.

Relativity in Real Life: The ISS Clocks Tick Slower, Astronauts Age Slightly
science9 days ago

Relativity in Real Life: The ISS Clocks Tick Slower, Astronauts Age Slightly

The ISS travels about 7.8 km/s, causing time dilation: its clocks run slightly slower than Earth clocks due to special relativity, while being higher in gravity would speed them up per general relativity. The net effect is a fraction-of-a-second aging difference for astronauts over six months, a result confirmed by atomic clocks and essential for GPS accuracy. The article also contrasts the relativistic effect with microgravity’s physiological impacts on astronauts, emphasizing that time is a local quantity tied to reference frames.

The Price of GPS: How Our Sense of Place Is Eroded by Tech
science11 days ago

The Price of GPS: How Our Sense of Place Is Eroded by Tech

The piece argues that widespread GPS use over the past decade and a half has shifted most people from a hippocampus-driven cognitive map to a caudate-driven, autopilot navigation style. Those who still rely on memory maintain a relational, map-like understanding of their environment and a continuous sense of being oriented in space, while others gain efficiency at the cost of declining spatial memory. Reversing this would require deliberately navigating without GPS in selected contexts to exercise the cognitive map and reclaim a felt sense of location.

Garmin's Forerunner 70 Debuts as a Feature-Pilled Budget GPS Watch
technology14 days ago

Garmin's Forerunner 70 Debuts as a Feature-Pilled Budget GPS Watch

Garmin’s Forerunner 70 is a feature-dense upgrade to the budget line, bringing a 1.2” AMOLED display in a 43mm case, touchscreen, upgraded HR sensor, a revamped UI, Training Readiness and Training Status, expanded health metrics, an on-device Quick Workout Creator, and 60+ sport profiles—all for around $249. It undercuts competitors with a rich feature set while omitting offline maps and some high-end extras; the related Forerunner 170 adds open-water swimming and meditation, while the 70 forgoes those features.

Starlink drops GPS-style PNT feature, but researchers aren’t done with space-based navigation
technology15 days ago

Starlink drops GPS-style PNT feature, but researchers aren’t done with space-based navigation

Starlink has shut down its GPS-like positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capability as of May 20, 2026, ending a peripheral feature that could offer location data even where GPS is jammed. SpaceX did not give a reason, fueling speculation about liability or a paid-service path ahead of an IPO. Independent researchers have already shown how Starlink signals can be exploited to determine location—with tens of seconds to meters-level accuracy—and have extended similar techniques to include OneWeb and other LEO constellations, suggesting robust GPS alternatives may emerge even after Starlink’s own PNT access is closed.

GPS III: A Major Leap for Global Positioning
technology28 days ago

GPS III: A Major Leap for Global Positioning

The GPS III rollout is progressing with SpaceX's launch of the 10th GPS III satellite, forming the first complete block of third‑generation satellites. Over the next decade, up to 22 GPS III satellites will replace aging units, bringing higher transmit power, a new 1176 MHz Safety of Life signal, and military spot beams to improve resistance to jamming. New interoperable signals L1C and L2C will enhance compatibility with Galileo, BeiDou, IRNSS, and QZSS, while M‑code will bolster security for military users. Looking ahead, GPS IIIF satellites will add optical reflectors, laser data links, and the Digital Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard. For most users, improvements will be subtle, mainly faster signal locks and more accurate positioning, with upgrades largely invisible in everyday use.

Pentagon cancels GPS OCX after 16-year, multibillion-dollar struggle
defense1 month ago

Pentagon cancels GPS OCX after 16-year, multibillion-dollar struggle

The Pentagon terminated the Global Positioning System Next-Generation Operational Control System (OCX) after years of delays and cost overruns, saying continuing was no longer the best path for GPS capabilities. The Space Force will instead upgrade the legacy GPS ground control system to support newer features like the M-code signals, while RTX (Raytheon) delivered OCX in 2025 but will shift to post-delivery support. The move accompanies ongoing GPS III/IIIF satellite operations and a recent $105 million contract to Lockheed Martin for ground-system upgrades, signaling a pivot toward incremental improvements rather than a single all-encompassing system.

GPS OCX Saga: Billions Spent, Still Not Operational
technology1 month ago

GPS OCX Saga: Billions Spent, Still Not Operational

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.

UK teens increasingly prescribed antidepressants as specialist access lags
health2 months ago

UK teens increasingly prescribed antidepressants as specialist access lags

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.

Climate-Driven Spin: Melting Ice Lengthens Earth’s Day and Nudges GPS
science2 months ago

Climate-Driven Spin: Melting Ice Lengthens Earth’s Day and Nudges GPS

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.

GPS III-8 heads to SpaceX Falcon 9 after Vulcan glitch
space2 months ago

GPS III-8 heads to SpaceX Falcon 9 after Vulcan glitch

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.