GPS World

The GPS app was mainly created for U.S.A military needs, later on it was

available to civilians, but to keep the military advantage, the U.S.DoD provides two

levels of GPS positioning and timing services: the Precise Positioning Service

(PPS) is the most precise utonomous positioning and timing service, and the

Standard Positioning Service (SPS). However GPS has had a great impact in

(SPS) and his positioning has been found to be a cost-effective process, in which

at least 50% cost reduction can be obtained whenever it is possible to use the so-

called real-time kinematic (RTK) GPS, further The fact that GPS does not require

intervisibility between stations has also made it more attractive to surveyors over

the conventional techniques, also has numerous applications in land, marine, and

air navigation; In topography, the GPS system has millimeter precision, and aerial

studies of the most impenetrable areas can be carried out to evaluate it is flora and

fauna, topography and human infrastructure. This is due to the technology in each

installed satellite.

Therefore, a basic idea of GPS and its function that clarifies why this application is

so necessary and used by surveyors; it consists in give the presise location and

timing information, anywhere in the world under any weather conditions, it Works

thanks satellites constellation sent, the first satellite of series 11 were shipped on

February 22, 1978 and the last was launched on October 9, 1985, nonetheless the
second generation of the GPS satellites is known as Block II/IIA satellites it were

launched during the period from February 1989 to November 1997. After that, a

new generation known as Block IIR, is currently being launched, it consists of 21

satellites with a design life of 10 years, likewise, the autonomous navigation

apability of this satellite generation is achieved in part through mutual satellite

ranging capabilities, in 2005 or shortly after that date was panned to send the

Block IIF satellites, which have new capabilities under the GPS modernization

program that will dramatically improve the autonomous GPS positioning

accuracy.This makes the total number of GPS satellites in the constellation to be

29, which exceeds the nominal 24-satellite constellation by five satellites, besides

the satellites can be identified by various systems, the most popular identification

systems within the GPS user community are the space vehicle number (SVN) and

the pseudorandom noise (PRN). Additionally The control segment of the GPS

system consists of a worldwide network of tracking stations, with a master control

station (MCS) located in the United States at Colorado Springs; each monitor

station is equipped with high-quality GPS receivers and a cesium oscillator for the

purpose of continuous tracking of all the GPS satellites in view, furhermore are

equipped with ground antennas for uploading the information to the GPS satellites

through the S-band link.

In conclusion The use of GPS in topography has facilitated the tasks in the

topographic field therefore, today a surveyor can achieve in one day what

previously took several weeks to an entire team, all thanks to GPS technology and

constant reinforcement for each satellite sent.