First modernized GPS satellite Launched

A reader writes "The first GPS 2R-M satellite has launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on top of a Boeing Delta 2 rocket. The government is now competing with Europe's Galileo system, and has added two additional military channels and one civilian channel, which will increase the accuracy and performance of GPS - as well as increase its resistance to jamming."

Comments

You Will Be Assimilated!

[AKAImBatman]

You know, I was about to ask the rocket scientists hanging around here (hi guys!) about how small new generation comsats were going to be. After all, there has been a tremendous increase in miniturization and technology since the original GPS sats were launched. (e.g. better microprocessors, denser batteries, more efficient solar panels, better propulsion, etc.) If we could get these sats small enough, it might be possible to deploy a GPS system for Mars in one or two launches.

Then I saw the borg cube that assimilated the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory (Mirror) Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor.

On another note, the picture makes it look like the design hasn't changed much from the original NAVSTAR configuration. I assume that these satellites are merely sharing the same chassis, and have very different internals?

Re:You Will Be Assimilated!

[pr0nbot]

If we could get these sats small enough, it might be possible to deploy a GPS system for Mars in one or two launches.

OT... something I've been wondering about, with regard to long-range communication with satellites: we know how to do networks now, why aren't we peppering space with small node probes that travel away from Earth (i.e. aren't orbital satellites) but keep in touch with eachother and so can route the data from real science probes back to us from further and further out?

I suppose the number of nodes required would grow at the same order as the volume of a sphere (assuming we want to spray them in all directions) but we actually probably only want to send them out in specific directions.

Re:You Will Be Assimilated!

[speculatrix]

there has been a tremendous increase in miniturization and technology since the original GPS sats

your statement is naive in that it supposes that mil-spec and rad-hardened technology has advanced at the same rate. Once, it was the military who led the way and consumer devices followed; now, it's the other way round, and in fact the military/space people have big problems with obsolescence, especially with the recent EU rules on Reductions Of Hazardous Substances (often known as "lead free", but actually covers other things as well). In some instances, military kit is being forced to use automotive-spec components as replacements, because that's all that's available and at least the devices have a wider temperature range.

so, yes, mil- and space-spec hardware is advancing, but the testing cycle is far longer - think months rather than weeks. when you're spending $M's in launch fees, you've got to get it right!

Compatibility

[slimey_limey]

Will this improved accuracy come at the cost of compatibility? I already have a GPS reciever, and I don't want to have to buy a new one to make my data more accurate. (Magellan hasn't released new firmware for the SporTrak Basic since 2002, and I'm not holding my breath.)

Re:Compatibility

[AKAImBatman]

The new civilian channel is in addition to the existing channel, so your existing equipment should work. As more of these sats go online, you can expect to see gear that provides access to the second civilian channel. (Source)

What I have to wonder, though, is what will they do with the two new military channels? It seems that all the field soldiers tend to use civilian gear because the military gear is too heavy, unfriendly, ugly, and is in short supply. I suppose it would make the missiles hit their targets better, but it would be nice to know that our entire military can use the equipment.

Re:Look everyone! Somone who didn't RTFA!

[AKAImBatman]

Yeah, I did read it. The part that stuck out to me was that the new sats were about 60 pounds heavier than the old ones. Now I understand that they couldn't have gotten all the new features in for only 60 pounds without modern technology. Still, I can't help but think that it could have been a lot smaller than that.

Then again, I'd like to see a day when we can create useful PongSats, for this stuff but I supposed that won't be happening anytime soon. (Especially not when you need a large tranceiver!)

Re:Specs?

[Anonymous Coward]

The new civilian code is probably a longer signal that repeats less often. This gives better accuracy but takes longer to determine position when first switched on. Using the lower accuracy signal would allow for a rapid first estimate of postion while the GPS would become more accurate once the position using the new signal was calculated. The military GPS systems use the civilian signal to estimate their position more quickly.