https://www.schriever.af.mil/GPS/
GPS at Schriever
| The Global Positioning System is the world’s only global utility. | |
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Operated by the dedicated men and women of the 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, GPS is also the world’s largest military satellite constellation. The 2nd SOPS has three missions: global navigation, time transfer and nuclear detection. Uses of GPS include precise timing for financial transactions, search and rescue, communications, farming, recreation and both military and commercial aviation.
GPS Operations Center The Global Positioning System Operations Center provides a single center of excellence for user support and GPS constellation operations. The GPSOC, located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, provides Department of Defense and allied GPS users worldwide with anomaly reports and other information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Military users who need to request information or report an anomaly or outage may contact the GPSOC using the phone number or e-mail address provided in the contact information below. Non-military users should contact the U.S. Coast Guard’s Navigation Center at 703-313-5900. |
Basics of GPS
Mission
The Global Positioning System is a constellation of orbiting satellites that provides navigation data to military and civilian users all over the world. The system is operated and controlled by the 50th Space Wing, located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.
Features
GPS satellites orbit the earth every 12 hours, emitting continuous navigation signals. With the proper equipment, users can receive these signals to calculate time, location and velocity. The signals are so accurate, time can be figured to within a millionth of a second, velocity within a fraction of a mile per hour and location to within 100 feet. Receivers have been developed for use in spacecraft, aircraft, ships and land vehicles, precision munitions, as well as for hand carrying.
GPS provides 24-hour navigation services including:
· Extremely accurate, three-dimensional location information (latitude, longitude and altitude), velocity (speed and direction) and precise time
· A worldwide common grid that is easily converted to any local grid
· Passive all-weather operations
· Continuous real-time information
· Support to an unlimited number of users and areas
· Support to civilian users at a slightly less accurate level than cryptographically keyed users
The GPS constellation is designed and operated as a 24-satellite system, consisting of six orbital planes, with a minimum of four satellites per plane.
The Evolved Expendable Launch vehicle is used to launch GPS satellites from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., into nearly 11,000-mile circular orbits. While circling the earth, the systems transmit signals on two different L-band frequencies. Their design life is 10 years for Block IIR/M (but many are lasting longer), 12 years for Block IIF, and 15 years for Block III.
