Stewardship and GPS Modernization One Step on the Road to the Future

Daniel Martens and Donald Latterman

Abstract:	In this paper, the second in a series on “Stewardship,” we look at GPS Modernization and its relationship to stewardship of positioning and timing services. We start with a brief review of the stewardship concept and how it applies to the GPS Program as developed in our first paper (1) . GPS Modernization is then reviewed in brief with the observation that it is system oriented and driven by formal requirements processes as constrained by funding. The paper then turns to address some of the implications of current GPS modernization plans for the future evolution of Global Positioning and Timing Services (GPtS). An evolutionary focus recognizes that the GPS is the core of a GPtS enterprise. As such, the system elements must evolve in capability over time in response to changing customer needs, rather than periodically replacing the system with a new system to provide improved capabilities. The paper then reviews how this evolutionary service-oriented perspective leads to different priorities and approaches than the current system development perspective. These new perspectives are related to the concept of stewardship and its relationship to GPS and other associated systems. The paper then concludes with a set of observations on how the GPS (or GPtS) community can and must exercise responsible stewardship. Specific examples are provided of how all members of the GPts Enterprise can exercise stewardship rather than waiting for some entity to be named the official steward. This paper, like our first paper, was designed to stimulate thought and discussion of the business issues influencing management of assets as part of a national (or global) enterprise rather than to present a simple solution. We challenge our readers, and all members of “the GPS community” to think out of the box and identify those opportunities where they can contribute to good stewardship of this evolving national service rather than waiting for someone else to be appointed the steward.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 12th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1999) September 14 - 17, 1999 Nashville, TN
Pages:	1747 - 1754
Cite this article:	Martens, Daniel, Latterman, Donald, "Stewardship and GPS Modernization One Step on the Road to the Future," Proceedings of the 12th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1999), Nashville, TN, September 1999, pp. 1747-1754.
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