GPS Test Successful From Outer Space

An anonymous reader writes: "AMSAT reports that the GPS experiment on the international amateur radio spacecraft AO-40 has undergone successful testing." A note on the site reads in part: "This experiment supplied and sponsored by NASA, is to determine if it is possible to get positional data outside of the GPS ring of satellites. There are two GPS receivers on AO-40, the A receiver for receiving signals around apogee and the B receiver for signal reception around perigee. ... A signal on the apogee receiver from about 52 Thousand Kilometres out with good signal levels has been received, further data is being gathered and those downloaded so far are being analysed. If this experiment goes the way I expect, it will revolutionise the way we use GPS in Space. Many future HEO spacecraft will be able to take advantage of GPS for autonomous navigation and stationkeeping." This is one of the most interesting applications of GPS technology I've heard about -- nice way to reuse what was intended as a terrestrial navigation aid.

Comments

Rename it?

[sessamoid]

Maybe it's time to rename the thing to the "Galactic Positioning System." Seriously, this thing seems to have the potential to make space probe control and navigation much easier and more accurate. It should be very interesting to see what applications come of this.

The future of Geo Caching

[Quizme2000]

My Cache is located at N 37 50.047 W 122 13.809 A 56,000 km. It contains a compass, a dollar bill and a 5kg nuclear core. Please sign the log.

Great

[Ezubaric]

Now maybe NASA can tell whether their probes are 100 meters or 100 feet away from smacking into Mars.