GPS Independent Project

The Assignment:

· Design a presentation (using poster board or PowerPoint) on the Global Positioning System (GPS).

· Present your project to the entire class.

· Create a follow-up quiz to be taken by your fellow students.

Your project must address the following questions / issues:

(1) Include a timeline (past & projected) of GPS development.

(2) Describe at least 10 uses for GPS.

(3) How many satellites are there now?

a. Where are they located?

b. How far up are they?

c. At what speed are they traveling?

(4) What kind of lifespan, power supply, electronics, etc. does each satellite contain?

(5) What are the different kinds of GPS ground receiver units?

(6) How does the GPS ground receiver unit figure out where it is?

(7) Why would GPS have been impossible without Einstein’s theories of relativity?

(8) What kind of competition from other positioning systems will GPS have in the future?