Space Policy Directive-7 highlights the United States’ ever-growing dependence on space-based positioning, navigation, and timing.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Jan. 15 issued a policy memo focused on the United States’ dependence on the Global Positioning System and the need to prepare for a day when GPS might not be available.
A constellation of 31 GPS satellites operated by the U.S. Space Force use radio navigation to provide positioning, navigation, and timing information to military and civilian users worldwide. Satellites in space rely on GPS for navigation, attitude control, space situational awareness, and new science applications such as radio occultation.
