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ENGLISH-05
WHAT IS GPS?
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a Global Navigational
Satellite System (GNSS) which allows for the determination of an
object’s, person’s, or vehicle’s exact location within a few inches or feet.
GPS works through a network of 24 satellites (21 active satellites and 3
backup satellites) which orbit over the globe at 20,200 km with
synchronized trajectories that allow them to cover the entire globe at
any given time. When needing to determine position, the device being
utilized locates a minimum of 4 satellites and receives their locations
and time. Based on these signals, the device will synchronize its time
and the GPS satellites time and will calculate the signal’s backup time or
the distance to the satellite. Using triangulation, the device will
determine its position. The triangulation through GPS, to differentiate
from 2-D triangulation which consists in using angles from known
sources, is based on the distance from the satellite to the device or
measuring point. After knowing these distances, it is easy to
determine the device’s position using the other 3 satellites. Also
knowing the satellite’s coordinates or position by the signal they emit,
the device can obtain the absolute coordinates or exact location of the
device, person, or vehicle.