One of the interesting things about technological innovation is that breakthroughs in one area produce unforeseen changes in other areas. No one would have thought that one side effect of the Soviet Union's launching the Sputnik satellite in the late 1950's would be a way for businesses to save money or parents to know if their teenagers are taking the car to an off-limit area of town. Indeed, that one satellite inadvertently paved the way for the current web of satellites that enable GPS, or Global Positioning System, to operate.



GPS uses 24 satellites to provide anybody with a GPS receiver to determine his or her location, speed, direction and the precise time. Originally a military project, GPS has numerous applications in the field. These included helping soldiers find objectives at night or in foreign territory as well missile targeting and helping to find downed pilots. The military opened up GPS to the public just about thirty years ago, and now, everyone can benefit from this revolutionary technology.

In addition to helping you find your way around a foreign city or telling you where you are in the woods, GPS allows businesses to save more money. If a company needs to track its trucks to verify that its drivers are making the correct stops or are not traveling at excessive speeds, it just needs to install GPS receivers in its vehicles. Most commercial trucks operate most efficiently at speeds of 50-55 mph, so keeping track of how fast operators drive saves on fuel costs!

Parents can also employ GPS to keep track of the family car when teenagers are driving it. With a GPS receiver, parents know the car's speed, the route it took, and where it stopped. Parents can also arrange the receiver so that they will receive an email alert if the car goes away from a certain area of town, exceeds a certain speed, or reaches a destination.

Although GPS depends on satellites flying thousands of miles above the planet's surface, its uses are practical, beneficial, and down-to-earth.