Who invented the First GPS? (Invention Timeline Explained)

When navigating your car from point A to point B, what would you say is the most crucial aspect of getting safely to your destination? While there are plenty of legitimate answers, many of you will likely have GPS (global positioning system) as the answer.

It’s understandable, as the GPS isn’t only restricted to vehicles. The ability to pinpoint your location makes it possible for delivery and transportation services and so much more. It’s gotten to the point where many probably wouldn’t be able to function properly without the GPS. Let’s take a look at the inception of GPS, as well as its evolution through the years!

Who invented the first GPS?

The US Department of Defense started the global positioning system (GPS) project. It got its start in Sputnik when the US began to track its position with the Doppler Effect.

The first GPS’ key contributors (and evolution)

  • Sputnik
    The very first manmade satellite

    The very first manmade satellite was launched, prompting the US to track its movements.

  • William Guier and George Weiffenbach
    American physicists tasked with tracking Sputnik

    The two American physicists successfully tracked Sputnik’s movement in orbit with the Doppler Effect.

  • TRANSIT
    The very first satellite navigation system

    Thanks to the tracking of Sputnik, the US Navy developed TRANSIT, the first satellite navigation system.

  • NAVSTAR
    A new and improved navigation system

    With the creation of the GPS, the US continued working on improving and polishing the tech, leading to the development of NAVSTAR.

  • Roger Easton
    Primary inventor of the GPS

    With President Ronald Reagan issuing a directive to make GPS commercially available to civilians, Roger Easton got to work with this team, launching the GPS satellite to help with commercial use.

  • President Reagan
    Turned off selective availability

    There was selective ability regarding which civilians could use GPS for military and security reasons. Eventually, Ronald Reagan turned off selective availability, allowing anyone to make use of GPS.

When was the first GPS invented?

The US Department of Defense started the GPS project in 1978, and it continued to make strides.

A brief history of the first GPS

The use of the global positioning system is widely available these days, but there was a time when the tech was barely there. With the launch of Sputnik into space, the US wanted to track its movements in orbit for security reasons. American physicists William Guier and George Weiffenbach got to work, using the Doppler Effect to get the results they wanted. With their success, work on the GPS got started. Thanks to the tracking of Sputnik, the US Navy developed TRANSIT, the first satellite navigation system. With the creation of the GPS, the US continued to work on improving and polishing the tech, leading to the development of NAVSTAR, which took things a step further.

Trouble arose when Korean Airlines 007 fell into the USSR airspace. Such an event prompted President Ronald Reagan to issue a directive to make GPS commercially available to civilians. With that directive, Roger Easton got to work with this team, launching the GPS satellite to help with commercial use. However, there was selective ability regarding which civilians could use GPS for military and security reasons. Eventually, Ronald Reagan turned off selective availability, allowing anyone to make use of GPS.

Eventually, Qualcomm integrated GPS into phone technology, producing the first GPS-assisted mobile phones. The rest is history, as GPS is now an integral part of modern society. 

The first GPS timeline

  1. 1957
    The launch of Sputnik and the US reconnaissance.

    The very first manmade satellite was launched, prompting the US to start tracking its movements. Two American physicists successfully tracked Sputnik’s movement in orbit with the Doppler Effect.

  2. 1960
    The development of TRANSIT

    Thanks to the tracking of Sputnik, the US Navy developed TRANSIT, the first satellite navigation system. This would lead to the creation of the GPS.

  3. 1973
    The creation of NAVSTAR

    With the creation of the GPS, the US continued working on improving and polishing the tech, leading to the development of NAVSTAR. 

  4. 1978
    The GPS project officially started

    The US Department of Defense sent ten prototypes into space to test the capabilities of GPS tech.

  5. 1989
    The fall of Korean Airlines 007

    With President Ronald Reagan issuing a directive to make GPS commercially available to civilians, Roger Easton got to work with this team, launching the GPS satellite to help with commercial use.

  6. 2000
    The removal of selective availability

    There was selective ability regarding which civilians could use GPS for military and security reasons. Eventually, Ronald Reagan turned off selective availability, allowing anyone to use GPS.

Where was the first GPS invented?

The first GPS was developed at Stanford University.

The importance of the first GPS

  • GPS is the wave of the future

    There’s no denying that the global positioning system is an amazing feat of technology, especially when driving cars. Most people would be lost without such a navigational system helping them out.

  • A tense and incredible time

    The GPS was built in the first place due to the need to track the development and orbit of Sputnik, the first manmade satellite. The GPS was primarily a military project, and it was until the late 80s when President Ronald Reagan made it available for commercial use.

  • A milestone for technology

    When it comes to the advancements in technology, reaching the so-called space age of transportation and navigation is a huge milestone. Many car manufacturers have tried to develop an effective navigational system over the years, and it was only with the help of GPS that it became possible. The same can be said about phone technology.

  • A bright future

    GPS systems will only get better over the years. Satellite positioning is a burgeoning tech, and they’ve barely scratched the surface of what it can do.

GPS by the numbers

  • 1989The year when the first modern Block-II satellite was launched into orbit. It’s an important year, as it marked the era when GPS tech was used in wars, specifically the Gulf War.
  • 1995The year when the first modern GPS navigational system was used on a vehicle. Naturally, GPS and transportation made for the perfect pair.
  • 22The very first launch of the GPS satellite was on February 22, 1978.
  • 77The total number of satellites used in the span of the GPS history totals to 77. That’s quite a lot of satellites for a single project!

Five facts about GPS

  • When Google Maps got its start

    These days, everyone knows Google Maps as one of the most useful apps for utilizing GPS. So it’s a bit of a surprise to note that Google Maps got its start around February of 2005. GPS tech was still somewhat new for commercial use at that time, which was how Google Maps grew to be so popular.

  • The very first handheld GPS

    Naturally, the demand for GPS would only grow over time, which meant manufacturers had to find better and better ways to create GPS systems for smaller hardware. The Magellan NAV 1000 was the first of its kind; a handheld GPS receiver in 1989. Unfortunately, it was also quite expensive, running for approximately $2,900.

  • The mother of GPS

    Many notable people poured blood, sweat, and tears into the GPS project. One such person was Gladys West, often considered the mother of GPS due to her mathematical contribution to the project.

  • The first GPS chip

    Leave it to Apple to innovate in the field of smartphones and computers! The very first GPS chip was integrated into an Apple phone in 2008. Being the first to receive a GPS chip meant it wouldn’t be quite as accurate.

  • Pseudo-GPS

    As the very first GPS chip was placed in an Apple phone in 2008, the models before that didn’t have GPS. However, they did use cellular towers to triangulate the user’s position. It’s a rather interesting pseudo-GPS system inspired by actual GPS.

FAQ about GPS

  • Has GPS reached its peak?

    Not by a longshot. While technological advancements for GPS have experienced huge leaps and bounds, there’s still so much more that can be accomplished. It’s something that will only continue to get better as time goes on, even in the modern age.

  • What was the very first GPS watch?

    That would be the Casio PRT-1GP, which, surprisingly, was released in 1999. Considering that the first GPS chip would be released a little less than a decade later for phones, it was groundbreaking that the first GPS watch was released so early.

  • Is the Internet needed to use the GPS chip on phones?

    The Internet typically is not necessary to get the GPS to work. It’s constantly receiving signals from satellites orbiting around the planet. It’s an amazing invention, and one of the premier advancements of the modern age.

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