Which one of the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS) is not correct?
It is based on network of satellites orbiting above the Earth.
It is based on the system of triangulation.
GPS receivers provide location in terms of latitude, longitude and altitude.
It provides information exclusively for military operations.
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2022
A) It is based on network of satellites orbiting above the Earth. Correct. GPS relies on a constellation of dozens of satellites maintained by the United States.
B) It is based on the system of triangulation. Correct. GPS receivers calculate their position by determining the distance from multiple satellites. This process of determining location based on distance measurements from known points is often referred to as trilateration, which is similar in concept to triangulation (which uses angles).
C) GPS receivers provide location in terms of latitude, longitude and altitude. Correct. GPS provides a 3D position fix, including latitude, longitude, and height above a reference ellipsoid.
D) It provides information exclusively for military operations. Incorrect. While GPS was developed and is maintained by the U.S. military (Department of Defense), it has been available for civilian use globally since the 1980s and is used extensively for navigation, mapping, surveying, timing, etc., by both military and civilian users.