How Does GPS Function?
How Does GPS Function? The GPS system consists of more than 30 orbiting navigational satellites. Because they are continually sending out signals, we know where they are. Your phone's GPS receiver watches for these signals. The receiver can determine your location after calculating your distance from four or more GPS satellites. Since ancient times, people have used the sky to navigate. The constellations in the night sky were utilized by ancient seafarers to determine their location and course. Today, all we need to know our exact location is a hand-held GPS receiver, also known as the global positioning system (GPS). To determine our location and how to get to other locations, we still need objects that are high in the sky. We make use of satellites rather than stars. There are about 30 navigation satellites circling the Earth at a great altitude. These satellites are able to pinpoint our location. What exactly is GPS? A system, GPS. Receivers, base stations, and satel...