GPS has come a long way during the last 40-plus years. From its initial conception in the early 1960s, to the latest modernization efforts, GPS has achieved milestones and garnered recognition for its contributions to the betterment of humanity. Here are a few of the most notable GPS achievements and milestones.
1957-1978: GPS conceptualization and first satellite launch
During the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union dealt a major blow to U.S. morale with the launch of Sputnik in 1957. While Sputnik was a victory for the Soviets during the space race, it actually helped lead to the development of GPS. Scientists discovered the Doppler Effect, the thing that makes the timbre of a car horn change as the car passes by, could be applied to the radio signals being emitted from Sputnik. Essentially, they realized that satellites could be tracked from the ground by measuring the frequency of signals they emitted as they passed a fixed
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