Global Positioning System (GPS)

a description by Lee Miller

A GPS is a worldwide radio-navigation system that obtains data

from satellites and is used for finding specific locations

With many newer cars being equipped with a GPS, it is important

for people to be familiar with how this system works. A GPS
consists of three segments which are the space, control and user
segments.

Figure 1 – Orientation of satellites around Earth

The space segment consists of orbiting satellites which orbit

What is the the Earth and transmit information to receivers on the ground.
This segment contains a constellation of satellites that orbit
Space the Earth at an elevation of 20,000 km (12,000 mi). With this
Segment? many satellites in orbit, the constellation provides access to 5-
8 individual satellites from any point on Earth. Figure 1 shows
the orientation of satellites around the Earth.
 Figure 2 – Locations of monitoring stations throughout the world

The control segment is a series of monitoring stations on Earth

Components of equipped with radar designed to monitor satellites. These
stations are controlled by the army. The more stations there
the Control are the greater the accuracy of the receiver to pinpoint a
Segment location. Figure 2 shows the distribution of ground based
stations.

Figure 3 – A GPS receiver typically used in a car

The user segment consists of the receivers that we are more

familiar with. This is what we find in our cars and what we think
of when it comes to GPS. These receivers process signals from
User Segment
the satellites and determine a specific location, which is used
in giving driving directions.
 Figure 4 – Image showing satellites using trilateration

A position is determined by a GPS by using three sources of

information: ID, Position and Time of Transmission. The GPS
receiver compares the time of transmission of the satellite
Determining signal with the time of signal arrives to the receiver. Using
data and distances from other satellites a GPS receiver
Position determines a position on Earth by trilateration. Trilateration is a
process using the location of two known features and tying
their distance to the unknown location to determine the
distance of the unknown location.

For more information on how a GPS operates please visit the

Products Global Positioning System website at http://www.gps.gov