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Spinoff story
NASA Brings Accuracy to World’s Global Positioning Systems
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
GPS is an Air Force program, but NASA algorithms are largely to thank for the system being useful for secure, precision applications like airplane guidance, self-driving farm equipment, and directing first responders. Raw GPS data can be off by 30 feet or more, so the Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed software to correct for these errors, enabling real-time precision GPS. An early adopter, Long Island-based Comtech Telecommunications Corporation, remains a major provider of location-based services, including for cell phone companies, helping 911 operators pinpoint the location of a caller.