To provide you all the conveniences of modern life, most GPS enabled phones and laptops are equipped with a transponder that can be located by positioning satellites. If that thought alone is enough to make you think about relocating, I have some bad news: every industrialized country has a GPS system that can be used to find you -- unless you opts to start using carry pigeons. If you bother to carry a cellphone or laptop these days, you are being tracked. Not in the Tom Clancy, agents on your trail kind of way -- not yet anyway.
The United States was the first nation to have a working satellite system in orbit, despite the Soviet's jump in satellite technology (Sputnik). Known as NAVSTAR-GPS, it was developed and maintained exclusively by the United States Air Force. At any given time, the tracking solutions system uses three satellites to triangulate the position of a vehicle or object. It was sanctioned for civilian use by President Reagan and has become a more and more integral part of everyday Americans' lives. Now, GPS systems are ubiquitous on all cellphones.
Aside from the United States, the only other nation to have an extensive array of sub-orbital satellites in place is the Russian Federation. Developed by the Soviets, the tracking solution system, known as GLONASS, was launched in 1976. It currently uses 24 satellites, with 21 required for processing any given object and 3 held in reserve in the event of a malfunction. The GLONASS tracking system uses two signals to calculate position and a third to measure the velocity of a traveling vehicle or projectile. Though considered relatively old by current standards, this satellite system was developed to replace the aging Tsikada System, which could take well up to an hour to find a given target.
The European nations, including portions of former Eastern Bloc countries, use a tracking solutions system known as GALILEO. In 2007, all 27-member countries, with plans to be fully operational by 2013, unanimously approved the system. There will be bases in both Italy and Germany, and unlike other GPS systems, Galileo was created by the public -- not the military -- meaning that the military would not have the ability to block it from public use like other countries.
The Chinese, eager to capitalize on the popularity of cellphone usage, has launched its own tracking system, known as COMPASS. When it has completed all of its launches, it will include 35 sub-orbital satellites that span the entire globe. Chinese officials claim there will be two types of service: public and restricted (read as military). It remains to be seen how much GPS access the government will allow private citizens, given its propensity to control even the minutiae of its citizens' activities. Regardless, the tracking solutions move ever forward.
The United States was the first nation to have a working satellite system in orbit, despite the Soviet's jump in satellite technology (Sputnik). Known as NAVSTAR-GPS, it was developed and maintained exclusively by the United States Air Force. At any given time, the tracking solutions system uses three satellites to triangulate the position of a vehicle or object. It was sanctioned for civilian use by President Reagan and has become a more and more integral part of everyday Americans' lives. Now, GPS systems are ubiquitous on all cellphones.
Aside from the United States, the only other nation to have an extensive array of sub-orbital satellites in place is the Russian Federation. Developed by the Soviets, the tracking solution system, known as GLONASS, was launched in 1976. It currently uses 24 satellites, with 21 required for processing any given object and 3 held in reserve in the event of a malfunction. The GLONASS tracking system uses two signals to calculate position and a third to measure the velocity of a traveling vehicle or projectile. Though considered relatively old by current standards, this satellite system was developed to replace the aging Tsikada System, which could take well up to an hour to find a given target.
The European nations, including portions of former Eastern Bloc countries, use a tracking solutions system known as GALILEO. In 2007, all 27-member countries, with plans to be fully operational by 2013, unanimously approved the system. There will be bases in both Italy and Germany, and unlike other GPS systems, Galileo was created by the public -- not the military -- meaning that the military would not have the ability to block it from public use like other countries.
The Chinese, eager to capitalize on the popularity of cellphone usage, has launched its own tracking system, known as COMPASS. When it has completed all of its launches, it will include 35 sub-orbital satellites that span the entire globe. Chinese officials claim there will be two types of service: public and restricted (read as military). It remains to be seen how much GPS access the government will allow private citizens, given its propensity to control even the minutiae of its citizens' activities. Regardless, the tracking solutions move ever forward.
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For your everyday tracking solutions, you can depend on GPS systems available at your nearest electronics store -- or online. Never be lost again, thanks to the eyes in the sky.
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