International Space Programs Inching Toward Stronger GPS Signals by 2010
Major vendors of global positioning receivers now claim to link with American and Russian satellites, offering more accuracy and reliability than the U.S. NAVSTAR GPS system alone. “This is a much-needed step in our industry,” says Tim Tometich, GPS manager of McAninch Corp., an earthmoving contractor in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Financial and political volatility has hampered progress of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). But the network is starting to show signs of life again. As more nations launch wireless navigation systems, the all-encompassing term “GNSS” is slowly overshadowing “GPS,” which refers to the U.S. network alone.