Global Positioning System

Report

Leveraging Commercial Space Services: Opportunities and Risks for the Department of the Air Force

RAND researchers evaluated two commercial space markets to understand opportunities, challenges, and risks that the Department of the Air Force could encounter when making decisions to invest in commercial space capabilities.

Commercial Book

Practical Geolocation for Electronic Warfare Using MATLAB

This text explores the practical realities that arise from the employment of geolocation for electronic warfare in real-world systems.

Journal Article

Written Evidence Submitted by RAND Europe: SPDF0020 Space Defence

This document provides RAND Europe's submission of evidence in relation to the UK House of Commons Defence Select Committee's July 2021 call for evidence on space defence.

Blog

Vaccine Hesitancy, Working from Home, Arctic Diplomacy: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on vaccine hesitancy as a symptom of ‘Truth Decay,’ how to make remote work beneficial for all, U.S. Arctic diplomacy, and more.

Report

Weighing the Costs of GPS Disruption and Developing Backup Capabilities

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has a key role in national positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT), but it is far from the only source of capability for PNT. Would national investment in GPS backup capabilities be warranted, given the potential threats to its functioning?

Essay

70 Years of Innovation at RAND

Seventy years ago, a group of researchers established the independent RAND Corporation. From the first satellite design, to helping ensure GPS as a public good, to laying the groundwork for the internet, RAND has been making a difference ever since.

Commentary

What If Distracted Driving Was Safe?

According to consumer research, the ability to consume media, write an email, or even sleep during transport is a key selling point for self-driving cars, which could be available in the near future. Autonomous vehicle technology could also produce a wide range of public benefits.

Report

Evaluation of National Institute of Justice–Funded Geospatial Software Tools: Technical and Utility Assessments to Improve Tool Development, Dissemination, and Usage

A geospatial software tool-evaluation study assessed 14 recent tool developments funded by the National Institute of Justice. The study integrates input from tool developers and tool users with RAND's independent tool assessments.

Journal Article

Detecting Ionospheric TEC Perturbations Caused by Natural Hazards Using a Global Network of GPS Receivers: The Tohoku Case Study

Recent advances in GPS data processing have demonstrated that ground-based GPS receivers are capable of detecting ionospheric TEC perturbations caused by surface-generated Rayleigh, acoustic and gravity waves.

Report

Improving the Cost Estimation of Space Systems

Why have the costs of acquiring space systems been so high? What are the sources of the problems? To answer these questions, RAND researchers examined the sources of cost growth of Air Force space systems and undertook an extensive study of two space systems.

Report

Global Positioning System: Market Projections and Trends in the Newest Global Information Utility

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based signal providing precise timing, location, and velocity information. Just as any number of receivers can tune into a commercial TV or radio station, there is no limit on the number of people who can use GPS.

Report

GPS-Aided Guidance for Ballistic Missile Applications: An Assessment

The proliferation of Third World ballistic missiles is a major concern for the U.S. government. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of U.S. control policies as they pertain to ballistic missiles, focusing on those with ranges of 300-1000 km.

Report

GPS Targeting Methods for Non-Lethal Systems

Reviews the wide array of possible non-lethal concepts and separates their employment depending on target class.

Report

Operational issues for GPS-aided precision missiles

Operational issues for GPS-aided precision missiles

Report

Opportunities Created by GPS for U.S. Defense, Commercial, and Foreign Policy Interests

Since the Global Positioning System (GPS) was originally deployed to aid U.S. armed forces in navigation and position location, it has evolved into a resource supporting civil, scientific, and commercial functions—from air traffic control to the Internet—with precision location and timing information.

Research Brief

A Policy Direction for the Global Positioning System: Balancing National Security and Commercial Interests

The evolution of GPS into an information system with a substantial international user community has raised complex policy questions for U.S. decisionmakers on a variety of issues affecting national defense, commerce, and foreign policy.

Report

Modeling Global Positioning System Effects in the TLC/NLC Model

Presents a design for incorporating Global Positioning System (GPS) into RAND's theater-level combat or nonlinear combat (TLC/NLC) model, which is used for policy analysis of military operations.

Journal Article

A Rate Integrating Fiber Optic Gyro

In the past, fiber optic gyros have generally been viewed as angular rate sensors. However, for inertial navigation purposes, a rate integrating gyro characteristic is desired.

People

Nicholas A. O'Donoughue