This chapter discusses satellite navigation. GPS is a passive time-ranging system in which the time taken for a signal to travel between a satellite and the receiver is measured. This transit time is then easily related to the distance between the satellite and the receiver by the velocity of light. The three-dimensional position of the receiver (x,y,z) can be calculated if the absolute transit time, and hence distance from three satellites, at known positions is measured.

Inspec keywords: Global Positioning System; receivers

Other keywords: transit time; passive time ranging system; GPS; receiver; satellite navigation

Subjects: Satellite communication systems