Lessons Learned From NTP Users at IWCE 2024

GPS – How Did We Get Here

1950-1969:

• 1957 — The Soviet Union launches Sputnik I satellite.
• 1959 — The U.S. Navy builds Transit system satellites to begin tracking submarines.
• 1963 — The Aerospace Corporation completes a military study, laying the groundwork for the modern-day GPS system.

1970-1989:

• 1974 — The first NAVSTAR test satellite is launched by the U.S.
• 1978 — The U.S. begins the launch of 11 test satellites as a part of their Block I GPS program.
• 1983 — After the Korean Air Lines Flight 007 crash, the U.S. announces it will make GPS available for civilian use to improve navigation and increase safety for air traffic.
• 1985 — The U.S. government opens contracts with private companies to create portable GPS receivers.
• 1989 — GPS company, Magellan, introduces the first hand-held GPS device, the NAV 1000. The first fully operational satellite is launched by the U.S. Air Force as a part of their Block II program.

1990-1999:

• 1990 — The U.S. Department of Defense begins decreasing the accuracy of GPS readings for non-military use, stating fear of adversaries gaining military advantages as the reason behind the decision. This became known as Selective Availability.
• 1991 — GPS plays a significant role in U.S. operations during the Gulf War, despite the system not being fully operational.
• 1995 — The U.S. military declared Full Operational Capability (FOC) of all 24 satellites in the GPS constellation.
• 1998 — The U.S. Vice President Al Gore announces a plan for GPS III satellites to send two additional signals for civilian and aircraft use.
• 1999 — Mobile phone manufacturer, Benefon, introduces first commercial GPS phone.

2000-2019

• 2000 — The U.S. ends Selective Availability, allowing for greater commercial GPS use and innovations.
• 2004 — U.S. electronics company, Qualcomm, successfully completes a test of live assisted GPS on a mobile phone, which allows for cellular and GPS signals to combine for better location accuracy.
• 2005 — The first of Block IIR satellites is launched, allowing for a dedicated civilian GPS channel.
• 2010 — U.S. launches first of 12 Block IIF satellites. This is the first satellite to be launched as a part of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), otherwise known as a modern rocket.
• 2016 — The last of the Block IIF satellites launches, marking an end to the extensive Block II program that ran from 1989 to 2016.
• 2018 — The U.S. Air Force successfully launches the first GPS III satellite.
• 2019 — The second GPS III satellite is launched from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX Falcon 9.

2020-present

• 2020 — The U.S. Space Force announces that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SpaceX launch of the GPS III-3 satellite is delayed.

About Syncworks

Syncworks is an industry leader in delivering network synchronization and timing solutions to the telecommunications, utilities, and cable industries. For over two decades, we have helped our customers maintain, modernize and evolve their infrastructure to support the delivery of timing services over TDM and packet-based technologies critical for network QoS, meeting SLAs, and for emerging applications such as 5G mobile backhaul.