GPS declassified : from smart bombs to smartphones / Richard D. Easton and Eric F. Frazier ; foreword by Rick W. Sturdevant.

ISBN:

9781612344096

Title:

Author:

Easton, Richard D., author.

Personal Author:

Easton, Richard D., author.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xx, 301 pages) : illustrations

Contents:

New moons rising: the satellite age arrives -- Weather permitting: a brief history of navigation -- Success has many fathers: early concepts for satellite navigation -- One system, two narratives: recollections and documents -- Invisible stars: how GPS works -- Going public: the roots of civilian GPS use -- Going to war: GPS aids military success in the Persian Gulf -- Going mainstream: a consumer industry is born -- Where are we? GPS and GNSS today -- Going forward: the future of GPS.

Local Note:

eBooks on EBSCOhost

Subject Term:

Global Positioning System -- History.

Added Author:

Frazier, Eric F.,

Format:

Electronic Resources

Electronic Access:

Click here to view

Publication Date:

2013

Publication Information:

Lincoln, Nebraska :

Potomac Books, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press,

[2013]

Available:*

Shelf Number	Material Type	Copy	Shelf Location	Status
910.285 23	1:E-BOOK	1	1:ONLINE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

GPS Declassified examines the development of GPS from its secret, cold war military roots to its emergence as a worldwide consumer industry. Drawing on previously unexplored documents, the authors examine how military rivalries influenced the creation of GPS and shaped public perceptions about its origin. Since the United States' first program to launch a satellite in the late 1950s, the nation has pursued dual paths into space--one military and secret, the other scientific and public. Among the many commercial spinoffs this approach has produced, GPS arguably boasts the greatest impact on our daily lives.

Told by a son of a navy insider--whose work helped lay the foundations for the system--and a science and technology journalist, the story chronicles the research and technological advances required for the development of GPS. The authors peek behind the scenes at pivotal events in GPS history. They note how the technology moved from the laboratory to the battlefield to the dashboard and the smartphone, and they raise the specter of how this technology and its surrounding industry affect public policy. Insights into how the system works and how it fits into a long history of advances in navigation tie into discussions of the myriad applications for GPS.

Author Notes

RICHARD D. EASTON has published articles about the origin of GPS in various space-related publications. He holds an MLA from the University of Chicago. His father, Roger L. Easton, led the Space Applications Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory from the Vanguard satellite era to the early days of GPS development.

ERIC F. FRAZIER is a former newspaper reporter who covered governmental affairs for a general audience. His articles about computer security, nanotechnology, and drug marketing research have appeared in a variety of publications. Frazier holds a BS in geography from Appalachian State University.

Reviews (1)

Choice Review

GPS (global positioning system) technology is everywhere. The navigation system is so well known that the acronym is rarely spelled out. It was conceived in the 1950s, emerged as an operational system in the 1980s, and is now an integral part of daily life. People fight wars, protect their cars and homes, find destinations, track children and animals, plant crops, and catch criminals using GPS. In fact, much of modern society would be paralyzed without it. GPS is no longer just a navigation system; it is a vital component of the world's economic, social, and military endeavors, providing precise and continuous time and location information. This book expertly weaves the story of GPS development and its ever-expanding use. Journalists Easton and Frazier describe the roles that scientists, organizations, and government, along with rapidly expanding technology, played in bringing the system into everyone's life. Beyond the science of GPS, the authors also provide insight into how societies evolve, grow, and expand. In earlier times, a compass and the ability to use a sextant were the only assurance that one could successfully cross an ocean. Now GPS not only takes people across oceans, but will also find the nearest Starbucks! Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. M. W. Carr US Army Watercraft & Riverine Operations