Performance Improvements to GPS in the Decade 2000-2010

Keith D. McDonald

Abstract:	During the past 30 years, the Global Positioning System (GPS) has grown from a navigation concept through development and implementation to an operational system of 27 spacecraft currently serving millions of users. Its use has increased such that over a million GPS receivers a year have been produced since 1997. The rapidly growing GPS market, including equipment and applications, is estimated at about $8.5B in 2000 and is expected to be in excess of $50B in 2010. The system has performed extremely well, but a number of desired improvements have been identified that could be implemented with new generations of GPS replenishment and follow-on spacecraft. This paper addresses the concerns, options and plans during the next decade for improvements to GPS and the significant performance benefits that can be available to users in the next decade. First, it appears appropriate to review the development, current status and current capabilities of GPS. The modernization improvements planned for GPS will then be summarized including brief descriptions of the additional features planned for the spacecraft, the control segment and the user equipment. The impact of these planned system modernization activities in improving the performance of the operating modes of GPS is addressed. The three principal operating modes of GPS are described, as well as a review of the implications of the planned modernization activities to the European Galileo program and other GNSS efforts. Several implementation and policy concerns relating to the timely deployment of the improvements to GPS are also discussed.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 55th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1999) June 27 - 30, 1999 Royal Sonesta Hotel Cambridge, MA
Pages:	1 - 15
Cite this article:	McDonald, Keith D., "Performance Improvements to GPS in the Decade 2000-2010," Proceedings of the 55th Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1999), Cambridge, MA, June 1999, pp. 1-15.
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