GPS Service Could Begin to Fail in 2010
Sorry, did you think there wasn’t already enough to worry about right now? A wheezing economy, bankrupt automakers and lagging car sales still too rosy for your taste? Luckily, now we can also fret about the possibility of the Global Positioning System beginning to fail in 2010.
As navigation systems have become more commonplace in cars, smart phones and other devices, the old GPS satellites that keep those nav systems on the ball have begun to fail, according to the Government Accountability Office. Meanwhile, the Air Force — which is tasked with running the GPS network — has “struggled to successfully build GPS satellites within cost and schedule goals.”
Currently, the next generation of satellites has had its launch delayed by nearly three years while coming in $870 million over budget (and counting). The first satellite of this replacement crop is now scheduled to launch in November.
This may be too late to avoid interruption in GPS service for civilian drivers and a potential headache for the military, which relies on GPS for a number of different operations.
The GAO points to a lack of leadership in GPS satellite acquisition, noting that studies have found a “lack of single point of authority for space programs” as well as high turnover in program managers.
So, President Obama, we know you’re busy and all, but if you could get around to fixing this, too, most of us have totally forgotten how to read a road map.
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Oh well, it's a good thing I still have and use my DeLorme and Rand-Mcnally Atlas!
Wow! Lapse in Service for my GPS. Oh! No! First $4.00 gas, then Banks collapse, housing market crisis, then American Car companies are on the brink and now this. I’ll know the end is nigh when we can’t even use our GPS systems anymore. Dave Thomas, your right about many of us totally forgetting how to read a road map. I haven’t used my road atlas in years.
Sometimes it is a really really good thing not to have all the techno goodies we have nowadays. Won't make a difference to me if the GPS satellites work or not. Then again though, if the lapse is long enough things really could fall apart.
*Shrugs*
I always thought most people skipped the in-car navi option.
And GPS is supposed to be the backbone of the new air traffic control system? (This will allow visualization of flights over water, where there obviously can't be ground-based radar.) It's a good thing radar will still be in place as a backup.
It has nothing to do with people cannot read map anymore.
It is about convenience. Why do we need cell phones? We can write letters, or better yet, go to your friends and talk to them. Why do we have remote control for our TV? We can walk up to the TV to change channels, adjust the volume.
Let me give you an example why the GPS is helpful.
Imagine you are driving on the highway during a vacation. The instant that you need to make it to the exit is crucial sometimes. You could be going down the highway for another 25 miles without a single exit.
They're not talking about the entire Navstar constellation falling apart, merely the deterioration of a few satellites so there aren't always the usual number overhead.
This is not such a big deal, because GPS receivers have gotten better in recent years, and are quite capable of maintaining a useful fix with just a few satellites above the horizon. More than the minimum helps your accuracy, but even that isn't necessary, as WAAS improves the relevance of satellites near the horizon.
It's a good thing we're not talking about the whole system falling out of the sky, because the entire telecom network relies on GPS signals for synchronization. Thankfully, those receivers are capable of maintaining a good sync output with just a few minutes of satellite signal per day. But that's a story for another time!