May 30 2010
$8 Billion Upgrade Will Make GPS More Accurate
The GPS systems once bound to large boxes and military gadgets, now has passed just about every part of our lives. Barely few years later, people started buying GPS units for their cars and now is become a standard feature in upcoming phones.
However, increasing the number of GPS capable devices, enhances the load on GPS systems in satellites and infra structure as well. The GPS satellite are aging rapidly and is in need of serious maintenance. Starting from cell phone repairs to hospitals, rely on GPS everyday and for every thing. Many industries need a reliable replacement to keep them on the go, functioning well; never mind the people who get lost without the turn by turn directions.
Luckily, the government is working on about a £6.51347 billion upgrade making GPS more reliable and accurate. The new system has got potential to provide abilities we haven’t seen so far. Teal Group’s senior space analyst for aerospace research, Marco Caceres said the Las Angeles Times that since GPS benefits so many industries, it is quite hard to tell exactly which industry would not be affected.
GPS enabled device available now can spot a location within 20 feet which is formidable yet with a fairy large scale of errors. Some are even more accurate. The new system has got a huge improvement, spotting location down to two to three feet.
The process of upgrading must be smooth so that all the 24 satellites are replaced one after the other. The first up-gradation is expected to launch this week from Cape Canaveral.
