GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM, GPS TECHNOLOGY BEYOND THE ATMOSPHERE

Why use GPS?

Although GPS was originally designed as a military system, its civil applications have grown
much faster. On the topography side, GPS has made endless contributions among them:

• has replaced conventional methods in many applications.

• GPS is a profitable process, in which you can obtain at least a 50% cost reduction whenever it
is possible to use the so-called kinematic real-time GPS (RTK)

• GPS could provide more than 75% time savings

• The fact that GPS does not require inter-station intervisibility has also made it more
attractive to surveyors than conventional methods.

The idea behind GPS is quite simple. If the distances from one point on Earth (one GPS
receiver) to three GPS satellites together with the satellite locations are known, then the
location of the point (or receiver) can be determined simply by applying the known concept of
resection. As mentioned above, each GPS satellite continuously transmits a microwave radio
signal made up of two operators, two codes, and a navigation message turns on a GPS
receiver, it will collect the GPS signal through the receiver antenna. The partial result of signal
processing consists of the distances to the GPS satellites through the digital codes (and the
coordinates of the satellite through the navigation message.

The GPS control segment consists of a Master Control Station (MCS), a global network of
monitoring stations, and ground control stations. The MCS, located near Colorado Springs,
Colorado, is the central processing facility for the GPS segment. control and is attended at all
times [9]. There are five monitoring stations, located in Colorado Springs (with CMS), Hawaii,
Kwajalein, Diego García and Isla Ascencion. The positions (or coordinates) of these monitoring
stations are known with great precision.

GPS control sites

Each monitor station is equipped with high-quality GPS receivers and an access oscillator in
order to continuously track all the GPS satellites in view. All monitoring stations and ground
control stations are unmanned and operated remotely from the CMS. The GPS observations
collected at the monitoring stations are transmitted to the MCS for processing. The result of
the processing is predicted satellite navigation data that includes, together with other
information, the positions of the satellite as a function of time, the parameters of the satellite
clock, atmospheric data, the satellite almanac and others.

Monitoring the integrity of the GPS system is also one of the tasks of the CMS. The MCS
establishes the status of a satellite in unsanitary conditions during satellite maintenance or
outages. This health condition of the satellite appears as part of the satellite navigation
message in near real time
Although the design lifespan of the satellites, some remained in service for more than 10
years. The last Block I satellite was taken out of service on November 18, 1995. The second
generation of GPS satellites is known as Block Satellites. The autonomous navigation capability
of this satellite generation is achieved in part through mutual satellite range capabilities.
Additionally, the ground control segment loads predicted ephemeris and clock data over a
210-day period to support autonomous navigation.

The GPS consists of three segments: the space segment, the control segment, and the user
segment. The space segment consists of the constellation of 24 satellites presented in the
previous section. Each GPS satellite transmits a signal, which has a number of components:
two sine waves (also known as carrier frequencies), two digital codes, and a navigation
message.

The primary task of the operational control segment is to track GPS satellites to determine and
predict satellite locations, system integrity, behavior of satellite atomic clocks, atmospheric
data, satellite almanac, and other considerations. This information is packaged and uploaded
to the GPS satellites via the S-band link. The user segment includes all military and civilian
users. With a GPS receiver connected to a GPS antenna, a user can receive GPS signals, which
can be used to determine their position anywhere in the world. GPS is currently available to all
users worldwide at no direct charge

Surveyors and cartographers are among the first to take advantage of the Global Positioning
System (GPS), as it significantly increased productivity and produced more accurate and
reliable data. Today, GPS is a vital part of surveying and mapping activities worldwide.

When used by qualified professionals, GPS provides the highest precision topographic and
cartographic data. GPS-based data collection is much faster than conventional surveying and
mapping techniques, as it reduces the amount of equipment and manpower required. A single
surveyor can now accomplish in one day what previously took several weeks for an entire
team. GPS accurately supports mapping and modeling the physical world - from mountains
and rivers to streets, buildings, utility cables and pipes, and other resources. Surfaces
measured with GPS can be viewed on maps and in geographic information systems (GIS) that
store, manipulate, and display referenced geographic data. GPS, GIS technology is used by
governments, scientific organizations, and business operations around the world to facilitate
timely decision-making and rational use of resources. Any organization or body that requires
accurate information about the location of its assets can benefit from the efficiency and
productivity that GPS provides. Unlike conventional techniques, surveying using GPS is not
subject to restrictions such as the line of sight between survey stations. The stations can be
moved at greater distances between each other and can operate anywhere with a good view
of the sky, instead of being limited to remote peaks, As required before, GPS is especially
useful in surveying shorelines and waterways where there are few landmarks. Surveying
vessels combine GPS positions with depth soundings with sonar to produce nautical charts that
indicate to navigators changes in water depth and dangers lying underwater. Bridge and oil rig
builders also rely on GPS for accurate hydrographic surveys. Surveyors and cartographers can
carry GPS systems in a backpack or mount them on vehicles to collect data accurately and
quickly. Some of these systems communicate wirelessly with reference receivers to achieve
unprecedented improvements in productivity continuously, in real time, and with centimeter
accuracy. To achieve the highest level of accuracy, most survey category receivers use two GPS
radio frequencies: L1 and L2. Currently, there is no fully functioning civil signal on L2, so these
receivers take advantage of an L2 military signal using "no code" techniques.

The current GPS modernization program is adding a specialized civilian L2 signal with high-
precision positioning support without the use of military signals. The GPS program is also
adding a third civil signal on the L5 frequency that will further improve performance. After
2020, the government will stop supporting codeless access to military GPS signals.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system that was developed
by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) in the early 1970s. Initially, GPS was
developed as a military system for meet the US military needs. USA However, it was later
made available to civilians, and is now a commonly used system that can be accessed by both
military and civilian users [1]. GPS provides continuous positioning and synchronization
information, anywhere in the world under any weather condition. Because it serves an
unlimited number of users and is used for security reasons, GPS is a one-way (passive) system
[2]. In other words, users can only receive satellite signals. This chapter introduces the GPS
system, its components, and its basic idea.