History of GPS

Global Positioning System

     The GPS system was developed as a worldwide satellite based system by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to simplify and improve military and civilian navigation and positioning. The system grew out of the "space race" with the Soviet Union during the 1950s. By the 1960s the Air Force has developed a system in which several satellites with accurate clocks could assist in determining the position of a vehicle moving on land or in the air. In 1973, the Navy and Air Force programs combined and formed the Navigation Technology Program, which eventually became NAVSTAR (Navigation System and Ranging). The Russians also developed a GPS system called GLObal'naya Navigatsionnay Sputnikovaya Sistema or GLONASS. More recently the European Union approved funding to develop a GPS system called Galileo, that could be operational by 2008.
     Development and testing of the system began following the first GPS satellite launch in 1974. These satellites were built by Rockwell Collins and launched by the Air Force. Testing continued into the 1980s when GPS satellites were to be among payloads carried by NASA Space Shuttle flights. The GPS program suffered a major setback when shuttle launches were suspended following the 1986 Challenger accident. Several years passed until modifications could be made to the Delta II launch vehicle, enabling it to carry GPS satellites. The GPS system became fully operational on 8 December 1993 when the full constellation of 24 satellites, 21 operational and three in reserve, became available.
     The cost to the Air Force (1973 - 2002) to develop the GPS satellites (not including military user equipment or launch costs) is approximately $6.3 billion. It costs about $750 million annually to operate and maintain the constellation, including research and development, as well as procurement for and replacement of satellites. These numbers might seem high until you examine the economic impact of the GPS system on civilians and the economy in general. Over 1.4 million civilian GPS receivers have been produced each year since 1997. The economic impact of GPS technology is significant, reaching $6.2 billion in 2000, with expectations of surpassing $50 billion by 2010.

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