National Academies Press: OpenBook
« Previous: TASK 3
Suggested Citation:"THE TASK." National Research Council. 1995. The Global Positioning System: A Shared National Asset. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/4920.
×
Page 13

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

INTRODUCTION 13 1 Introduction THE TASK In the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 1994, the congressional committees that authorize the activities of the Department of Defense (DOD) requested that a joint study on the Global Positioning System (GPS) be conducted by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA).1 The National Academy of Sciences was asked to recommend technical improvements and augmentations that could enhance military, civilian, and commercial use of the system. NAPA was asked to address GPS management and funding issues, including commercialization, governance, and international participation. Specifically, the National Academy of Sciences was asked to address the following three technical questions: (1) Based on presentations by the DOD and the intelligence community on threats, countermeasures, and safeguards, what are the implications of such security-related safeguards and countermeasures for the various classes of civilian GPS users and for future management of GPS? In addition, are the Selective Availability and Anti-Spoofing capabilities of the GPS system meeting their intended purpose? (2) What augmentations and technical improvements to the GPS itself are feasible and could enhance military, civilian, and commercial use of the system? (3) In order to preserve and promote U.S. industry leadership in this field, how can communication, navigation, and computing technology be integrated to support and enhance the utility of GPS in all transportation sectors, in 1 The National Academy of Sciences carries out its studies through the National Research Council (NRC), the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, using a committee of experts and a small staff. NAPA utilizes its own staff members and consultants to conduct its studies, which are reviewed throughout the process by an oversight panel of distinguished individuals.

Next: JOINT STUDY APPROACH »
The Global Positioning System: A Shared National Asset Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $61.00 Buy Ebook | $48.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system that was originally designed for the U.S. military. However, the number of civilian GPS users now exceeds the military users, and many commercial markets have emerged. This book identifies technical improvements that would enhance military, civilian, and commercial use of the GPS. Several technical improvements are recommended that could be made to enhance the overall system performance.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!