There are multiple applications of navigation systems, but one specific type of navigation system that has been very beneficial for humanity's well being and exponential progress in technology is the Global Positioning System (GPS). The GPS serves a plethora of applications, such as: navigation, military, crime, security, and leisure. This technology could enable air, land and marine navigation to unfamiliar destinations with adverse physical factors (such as haze, fog, busy streets, strong water currents and icebergs), allow military personnel to effectively locate, target and launch missiles to eliminate the enemy, aid in tracking, locating and arresting criminals quicker and more efficiently, ensure topmost security to all our gadgets and belongings as in the case of theft we could locate our devices and belongings using GPS triangulation and in assisting when hiking, mountaineering, trekking and exploring in unfamiliar locations.
The method of how GPS functions is sophisticated and intricate, as it involves state-of-the-art technology and complex mathematical calculations. First of all the major components of a Global Positioning System are the satellites and the receiver (phone, computer, ship/plane controls, etc.). There are a total of 24 well-spaced satellites orbiting the earth, each of which are 10,600miles from earth and travel at 8000mph. Each satellite contains a computer, a communications radio and an extremely precise atomic clock, all used for determining the altitude, latitude, longitude and time of a target. For a precise, accurate and reliable result, at least four of the 24 satellites are required, three to locate a target's latitude and longitude, while another one is used to calculate the target's altitude and time, and all these processes utilizes triangulation method.
The triangulation method is vital to determine the target's position as it provides an accurate estimated location of the target wherever on earth, and the more satellites that are involved in the triangulation, the more precise, accurate and clearer the target is identified, to be precise the accuracy provided by the triangulation would be 100 to 10 meters while taking into account all physical factors, while using military equipment the accuracy is approximately 1 meter. After triangulating the target, such as a lorry, car or ship, the satellites send the information to the GPS receiver, such as a phone, PND and flight/ship controls. After receiving the information, the controller could act based on the receiver, such as while driving, tracking a shipping of product or tracking flight paths.