GIS专业英语Global Positioning System-chapter 3.docVIP

Lesson 1 Global Positioning System Global Positioning System is a network of satellites that continuously transmit coded information, and makes it possible to precisely identify locations on earth by measuring distance from the satellites. As stated in the definition above, GPS stands for Global Positioning System, and refers to a group of U.S. Department of Defense satellites constantly circling the earth. The satellite transmit very low power radio signals allowing anyone with a GPS receiver to determine their location on earth. This remarkable system was not cheap to build, costing the U.S. billions of dollars. Ongoing maintenance, including the launch of replacement satellites, adds to the cost of the system. Amazingly, GPS actually predates the introduction of the computer. Its designers may not foreseen a day when we would be carrying small portable receivers, weighing less than a pound, that would not only tell us where we are in position coordinates (latitude/longitude), but would even display our location on an electronic map along with cities, streets and more. GPS is one of history’s most exciting and revolutionary developments, and new uses for it are constantly being discovered. But before we learn more about GPS, it’s important to understand a bit more about navigation. Navigation Since prehistoric times, people have been trying to figure out a reliable way to tell where they are and to help guide them to where they are going. Cavemen probably used stones and twigs to mark a trail when they set out hunting for food. The earliest mariners followed the coast closely to keep from getting lost. When navigators first sailed into the open ocean, they discovered they could chart their course by following the stars. The ancient Phoenicians used the North Star to journey from Egypt and Crete. According to Homer, the goddess Athena told Odysseus to “keep the Great Bear on his left” during his travels from Calypso’s Island. Unfortunately, the stars are only visib