global positioning system (GPS)

Definition

System of 21 US satellites orbiting earth twice a day at an altitude of 10,900 miles to provide satellite ranging. Almost any point on earth can be located by measuring its distance from a group of these satellites. A navigation device in a boat, car, ship, airplane, or mobile phone gets a 'fix' on at least four satellites to measure its precise location (longitude, latitude and, in some cases, altitude and velocity) accurate to within about a meter where the service is supplemented by a ground based transmitter.