GPS System Could Begin To Fail Within a Year

[GaryC 7]

GPS System Could Begin To Fail Within a Year

The Global Positioning System faces the possibility of failures and blackouts, a federal watchdog agency has warned the U.S. Congress. Mismanagement by and underinvestment by the U.S. Air Force places the GPS at risk of failure in 2010 and beyond. The problem: Delays in launching replacement satellites, among other things.

According to the Government Accountability Office report, "In recent years, the Air Force has struggled to successfully build GPS satellites within cost and schedule goals" as part of a $2 billion modernization program.

"If the Air Force does not meet its schedule goals for development of GPS IIIA satellites, there will be an increased likelihood that in 2010, as old satellites begin to fail, the overall GPS constellation will fall below the number of satellites required to provide the level of GPS service that the U.S. government commits to."

Considered by the GAO to be "essential to national security" the GPS is also widely used by business and consumers and is a driver for next-generation location-based mobile applications used with smartphones and other devices.

"Such a gap in capability could have wide-ranging impacts on all GPS users," the GAO report states, "though there are measures the Air Force and others can take to plan for and minimize these impacts."

It is hard to imagine the U.S. government could allow this to happen. Actually, that's a lie, it's easy to imagine, but there is also time for corrective action to be taken. The first replacement satellite is expected to be launched this November, some three years after the original launch date. Speeding up future launches can solve the problem, but is likely to come at a high price.

The American GPS, though the pioneering consumer satnav system, is not alone. Russia, China, and India each have systems of their own, which are being expanded.

The European Union's Galileo system, intended as a rival for GPS, is expected to begin its rollout later this year.

The delay and potential failure of GPS gives these other nations the potential to rival the U.S. in space, something the U.S. government is unlikely to accept. The report is a black eye for the Air Force, which developed the GPS system during the 1990s and has maintained it since.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/arti...hin_a_year.html

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Great. I'm lost without my GPS.

[Niels Bohr 72]

That begin to fail doesn't necessarily mean it will fail.

[rclouse 0]

That's what happens when you trust Lockheed....

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Great. Now my GPS will get the same coverage as my cell phone.

[john & jean 37]

no it will mean billions more spent by the US. with the military implications it will not be allowed to fail.

[john & jean 37]

Great. Now my GPS will get the same coverage as my cell phone.

I hear you I do! today worked inside the city limits, population 100,000 NO SIGNAL, #######........

[pedroh 21]

That's what happens when you trust Lockheed....

lol

[mawilson 2,133]

Fuсk it so, we'll just use the European system if the GPS fails. Let Eurotrash pay for something for a change.

Edited May 20, 2009 by mawilson

[Ban Hammer 13,722]

Great. I'm lost without my GPS.

learn to read a map.

[Volkswagon 0]

Is GPS really such a big deal?

[Niels Bohr 72]

Is GPS really such a big deal?

Yeah. For airplanes, the military, boats, etc...

[NickD 203]

FAA was certainly against GPS for years as they don't have any control over it. But under the Bush administration have given in and other forms of avionics, the old proven kind like VOR's and NDB's are being obsoleted. ILS systems are also being phased out in favor of GPS approaches due to budget costs restrains. Depending on the airport commission for any number of airports and their foresight into the problems a pilot can run into depends on whether or not they will at least keep these backup systems.

But we can just let a number of planes crash with people killed until they realize saving a couple of bucks wasn't worth it. For a proper GPS approach, you need four perfectly operating satelites as alitude is equally important. GPS units themselves are highly complex softward microcontroller devices that are subject, just like your home computer to crash, but if they crash, so do you.

But how do you deal with govenment appointed totally non-technical personell that are presently running the FAA? With only key interest on saving a couple of bucks? In this light, we are no better than Chavez in putting incompetent people in charge of key elements, we are going to hell.

[Peikko 1,575]

Government is charged with keeping things cheap. The US public do not want to pay taxes.

[Ban Hammer 13,722]

Government is charged with keeping things cheap. The US public do not want to pay taxes.

that must explain the $600 toilet seats and hammers.