This Would Really Stink

[blackdog1101]

GPS System Could Fail Next Year, Report Warns

Mismanagement and underinvestment by the U.S. Air Force could possibly lead to the failure and blackout of the Global Positioning System (GPS), a federal watchdog agency says.

The risk of failure starts in 2010, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report quoted by PC World.

The failure would impact not only military operations, but also the millions of people and businesses who rely on the satellite-based navigation systems built into cars, boats and cell phones.

"If the Air Force does not meet its schedule goals for development of GPS IIIA satellites, there will be an increased likelihood that in 2010, as old satellites begin to fail, the overall GPS constellation will fall below the number of satellites required to provide the level of GPS service that the U.S. government commits to," the GAO report states.

The report says the Air Force has struggled to build successful GPS satellites within cost and on schedule.

[LMITOUT]

Gee whiz, they better get the census completed before the GPS system fails or they won't be able to mark where we live.

[katoguy]

Our computers might crash at the end of the 1990's, too...

[KG243]

Y2K all over again!!!! Better buy the new updated versions!!! hehehe or we might have to actually read a map!

[snoozebutton]

There's no way they let the GPS system fail. Too many people rely on it including the military.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

There's no way they let the GPS system fail. Too many people rely on it including the military.

Agreed, but it will refocus the media for a while

[winogoolawn]

Well actually I am a land surveyor and we rely on gps for daily work operations. I know that the military at any time can flip a switch and your gps is way off. But most gps systems are tracking more than just one kind of satellite right now there are three different kinds out there not to mention all satellites that we use from other countries. The chance of the system failing is very unlikely.

[goblueM]

i can't even begin to imagine they'd let the GPS go offline. Its so crucial to so many military and civilian operations and infrastructure

I guess I wouldn't mind though, it'd cut down on the yahoos collecting GPS coords from online then showing up at my fishing and hunting spots

[LMITOUT]

"If the Air Force does not meet its schedule goals for development of GPS IIIA satellites, there will be an increased likelihood that in 2010, as old satellites begin to fail, the overall GPS constellation will fall below the number of satellites required to provide the level of GPS service that the U.S. government commits to."

It is hard to imagine the U.S. government could allow this to happen. Actually, that's a lie, it's easy to imagine, but there is also time for corrective action to be taken. The first replacement satellite is expected to be launched this November, some three years after the original launch date. Speeding up future launches can solve the problem, but is likely to come at a high price.

The American GPS, though the pioneering consumer satnav system, is not alone. Russia, China, and India each have systems of their own, which are being expanded.

The European Union's Galileo system, intended as a rival for GPS, is expected to begin its rollout later this year.

[WyoChris]

This reminds me of the [PoorWordUsage] associated with Global Overpopulation, Y2K, Global Warming, and the more recently Swin Flu.

Unfortunantly, a group of people out there will find it their calling in life to bring attention to this ridiculous cause and create hysteria so they can feel they accomplished something with their lives until they realize that these GPSs didn't fail.

[iffwalleyes]

RIGHT where did you find that report. I highly doubt that all satellites are going to fail at the same time...

[winogoolawn]

the Galileo project is still looking for private investors because there is no current funding for it and if it does go into affect you will most likely have to pay a monthly or yearly fee to use it and you would also have to by a new hand held unit or fish finder.

To have a full constellation of sats in orbit requires 30 or 36 something like that. the sats that our GPS uses are 30 years old to less than five years old. The sats are not going to stop working all together since there are enough new sats in the sky I doubt they will fail and you only need 4 sats to get your position.

[winogoolawn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_navigation

We are are already using the russian sat system GLONASS and that wont go down because that is a newer sat system and it is free so if our system were to ever fail for some unknown reason you can always use alternate sat systems.

[Jethro80]

Time to start throwing markers again and referring to landmarks, it worked in the "Good ole days".

[vikingmeatwad]

I'm not wasting my time reading about this [PoorWordUsage]. It will never happen.

[stifler51]

it'll never happen cuz GPS is the heart of all military ops so u know they would watch that with a fine tooth comb, and if needed would gladly throw another few billion in debt to keep it going

[KG243]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_navigation

We are are already using the russian sat system GLONASS and that wont go down because that is a newer sat system and it is free so if our system were to ever fail for some unknown reason you can always use alternate sat systems.

Not put you down but don't ever quote or take information from wikipedia. Any fool can edit what is said on there I mean anyone.