Satellite Navigation

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What Does Satellite Navigation Mean?

Satellite navigation is a system which makes use of artificial satellites for providing autonomous geospatial positioning. In other words, satellite navigation systems can generate positioning information. Satellite navigation systems can also provide information regarding local time to high precision and can aid in time synchronization.

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Techopedia Explains Satellite Navigation

With the help of transmitted time signals and electronic receivers, satellite navigation can determine a specific location with high precision. However for accurately locating the position, a minimum of four satellites would be required. Electronic receivers make use of signals for analyzing the current local time to high precision. Satellite navigation capable of global coverage is called a global navigation satellite system. The electronic receiver analyzes the time and the distance from each of the satellites to reach the user’s receiver antenna. The fourth satellite in the navigation system helps in removing the distance ambiguity involved in the case of three satellites. In fact, the more satellites involved in a satellite navigation system, the higher precision the accuracy that can be achieved.

Satellite navigation systems are more accurate than other navigation options. Being a broadcast system based on radio signals, an unlimited number of people can use it an unlimited number of times, regardless of location. Satellite navigation systems aid in air and sea traffic as well.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.