Intro to GPS Apps
Historical Timeline of Radionavigation Systems

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This timeline is intended to track the development of currently existing GPS systems in the context of political and military events. Assorted other events have been inserted where relevant to provide the user with a better feel for the times.

1940

October - National Defense Research Council in Washington D.C. suggests a new navigation system that combines radio signals with the new technology of accurate time interval measurements. From this, MIT's Radiation Laboratory develops LORAN, the first all-weather navigation system. First sites are deployed along the North Atlantic, used during WW II to guide allied convoys. After the war, Omega system will be developed. Using lower frequencies, Omega covers more ofthe world with fewer sites, but at a cost to accuracy.

1953

Soviet test of submarine launched ballistic missiles. Tests used SS-1B SCUD missile from rebuilt ZULU class submarine.

1957

August 3 - USSR launches the first successful ICBM - the R-7. The missile travels 8,000 kilometers, it's dummy warhead landing in the Pacific Ocean.

September 20 - First successful flight of the U.S. Thor intermediate range ballistic missile. This missile will later become the Delta, used for NAVSTAR satellite launches and one of the most successful boosters of all time.

October 4 - Soviet Union launches Sputnik-I, the first artificial satellite on an R-7 booster. Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory demonstrates that Sputnik's orbital parameters can be determined solely by measuring the doppler shift of the on-board radio transmitter. One month later, it is suggested, that a ground position can be determined if the orbital parameters are known.

December 17 - First successful flight of the Atlas, the first U.S. ICBM.

1958

January 31 - US puts first american satellite, Explorer I, into space.

1959

June 9 - First U.S. ballistic missile submarine, the George Washington, is launched.

September 17 - First ever navigation satellite (TRANSIT 1A) is launched but fails to make orbit.

1960

February 15 - Raytheon proposes a radionavigation system called MOSAIC to the U.S. Air Force. MOSAIC (MObile System for Accurate Icbm Control) is designed to eliminate the need to survey launch sites for Minuteman missiles carried on railroad cars. System will be discontinued when Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara discontinues program.

April 13 - First navigation satellite (TRANSIT 1B) launched for US Navy. TRANSIT system was designed to meet Navy's need for accurately locating ballistic missile submarines and other ships.

April 20 - First successful launch of submarine launched Polaris missile from the U.S.S. George Washington. The missile flew 1,200 miles.

1961

February 21 - First successful full-up flight of U.S. Minuteman missile, flying 4,600 miles.

May 5 - First US manned space flight,

June 29 - TRANSIT 4A launched, first satellite to carry a nuclear powerplant. The powerplant is a SNAP-3 (Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power).

September 4 - The author is born in Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX. At way too early in the morning, I'm sure. Thanks Mom! Thanks Dad!

1962

October 22-28 - Cuban missile crisis. US detects Soviet missiles being shipped to Cuba, enforces naval blockade. Soviet Union relents, pulling missiles out.

December 19 - TRANSIT system declared operational with the launch of TRANSIT 5A1. However, the satellite fails to make orbit.

1963

August 5 - Limited Test Ban Treaty signed by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. bans tests of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere or in space.

October 17 - First VELA satellite launched by U.S. to monitor the ban on space and atmospheric nuclear weapons tests.

November 22 - President Kennedy assasinated in Dallas.

1964

January 11 - SECOR 1, an army navigation & positioning satellite is launched.

August 2 - U.S. destroyers are attacked by North Vietnamese patrol boats in the Gulf of Tonkin.

October 16 - China announces first sucessful nuclear test.

1965

March 2 - U.S. begins "Rolling Thunder" bombing campaign in Vietnam.

March 9 (?) - SECOR 3 satellite launched.

March 11 - SECOR 2 satellite launched.

April 3 - SECOR 4 satellite launched.

August 10 - SECOR 5 satellite launched.

1966

February 3 - Soviet Luna IX makes first soft landing on the moon.

March 1 - Soviet Venus III makes first landing on another planet (Venus).

May 19 - OSCAR 9 (TRANSIT by any other name) launched.

June 9 - SECOR 6 satellite launched.

July 1 - France withdraws from NATO.

August 19 - SECOR 7 satellite launched.

October 5 - SECOR 8 satellite launched.

1967

January 27 - Treaty limiting the use of space for military purposes is signed by 62 nations. Treaty limits orbiting of nuclear weapons and forbids claims of sovereignty on extra-terrestrial bodies.

May 31 - TIMATION-I satellite launched.

June 5 - Six Day War begins as Israel pre-emptively strikes Egyptian, Syrian, Jordanian and Iraqi airfields.

June 8 - Israeli forces attack and damage USS Liberty, an electronic reconnaisance ship.

Novemeber(?), (?) - First Soviet navigation satellite, TSYKLON (Cosmos 192) placed in low earth orbit.

1968

January 23 - North Korean forces sieze USS Pueblo, an electronic reconnaisance ship, claiming it intruded in territorial waters.

January 30 - North Vietnam launches Tet offensive.

July 1 - Non-Proliferation Treaty signed by U.S., U.K. and U.S.S.R.

1969

March 2 - Chinese and Soviet forces clash in border dispute. Use of nuclear weapons threatened.

July 20 - Apollo 11 lands on the moon.

September 30 - TIMATION-II satellite launched.

1970

May - US Department of Transportation publishes the first National Plan for Navigation.

1972

December - Apollo 17 flies last trip to moon.

1973

April - U.S. Navy TIMATION system and Air Force System 621B 3-d navigation system combined in a joint effort to develop a Defense Navigation Satellite System (DNSS). System would later become NAVSTAR.

August - First attempt to get new DNSS system (still packaged as Air Force's 621B system) past the Defense System Acquisition and Review Council (DSARC) fails due to failure to account for views and needs of all services.

October 6 - Egyptian and Syrian forces attack Israel.

October 10 - Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns, pleads no contest to tax evasion charges.

October 25 - U.S. places military forces on alert, fearing that the Soviet Union might intervene in the middle east.

December 17 - Redesigned DNSS system passes DSARC. System includes the best elements of all existing radionavigation technologies. Ultimately, it will be renamed NAVSTAR.

1974

May 18 - India explodes first atomic bomb, becoming sixth nuclear nation.

June - Rockwell International selected as first satellite contractor.

July 14 - TIMATION II satellite launched. Renamed NTS-1 (Navigation Technology Satellite 1). Launched into a 7500 nm orbit, it carries the first atomic clocks (two rubidium oscillators) into space.

August 9 - President Nixon resigns, Gerald Ford sworn in as president.

August 17 - Deputy Secretary of Defense declares that tri-service program based on GPS concept be established. Air Force will be program manager.

1975

April 24 - Hours after remaining US citizens are evacuated from Saigon, the President of South Vietnam surrenders to North Vietnam.

May 14 - President Ford orders the rescue of the USS Mayaguez from Cambodian waters.

1976

November 2 - Jimmy Carter elected president.

1977

June 16 - Leonid Brezhnev named president of the Soviet Union.

September 21 - US, USSR and 13 other nations sign nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

1978

January 24 - A Soviet ocean reconnaisance satellite containing a nuclear reactor falls to earth over Canada.

February 22 - NAVSTAR 1 (I-1, PRN 4) launched, declared operational March 29.
May 13 - NAVSTAR 2 (I-2, PRN 7) launched, declared operational July 14.

September 17 - Private talks between Egypt and Israel begin at Camp David. A timetable for for peace negotiations follows.

October 6 - NAVSTAR 3 (I-3, PRN 6) launched, declared operational November 9.

October 16 - Pope John Paul II is installed.

December 11 - NAVSTAR 4 (I-4, PRN 8) launched, declared operational January 8.

1979

January 16 - The Shah of Iran vacates the country. Within a month, Ayatollah Khomeini will come to power.

February 17 - Between 200.000 and 300,000 chinese troops invade Vietnam. Various border clashes and Vietnam's "agression" against Cambodia cited as reasons.

November 4 - Iranian militants seize U.S. embassy in Tehran.

December 12 - NATO members (except France & Greece) agree to install 572 intermediate range nuclear missiles by '83.

December 25 - Soviet forces are airlifted into Afganistan after a coup.

1980

January 22 - Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov is arrested and sent into internal exile for speaking out against Soviet actions in Afghanistan.

February 9 - NAVSTAR 5 (I-5, PRN 5) launched, declared operational February 27.

April 24 - U.S. forces attempt a commando raid to rescue American citizens being held hostage in Iran. Attempt ends in failure after mechanical difficulties and accidents result in loss of several helicopters.

April 26 - NAVSTAR 6 (I-6, PRN 9) launched, declared operational May 16.

November 4 - Ronald Reagan elected president.

1981

January 20 - Hostages from U.S. embassy in Iran are released minutes after Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as President.

March 30 - President Reagan is shot by John Hinckley but recovers.

April - Space shuttle Columbia makes first flight.

October 26 - A Soviet submarine runs aground near a restricted Swedish naval base. Captain blames navigation error, bad weather.

December 18 - NAVSTAR 7 (I-7) lost due to launch failure.

1982

January 8 - Justice Department orders AT&T to divest 22 local telephone companies.

April 2 - Argentine forces invade the Falkland Islands. A British task force leaves England on April 5.

May 4 - Exocet missile launched from an Argentine aircraft strikes and sinks the British frigate "Sheffield".

June 6 - Israeli forces invade Lebanon.

June 14 - Argentine troops in Port Stanley surrender to British forces, Falkland Islands war essentially over.

October 12 - GLONASS 1 (Cosmos 1414) launched.

November 10 - Leonid Brezhnev dies. Will be succeeded by Yuri Andropov.

1983

January 27 - US and USSR open negotiations on reducing intermediate range nuclear missiles in Europe. President Reagan offers "zero option".

June 16 - Yuri Andropov elected president of the Presidium of the USSR.

June 28 - U.S. DoD news release announces NAVSTAR security policy changes and revised Standard Positioning Service (SPS) accuracy levels. From then on, SPS would then have 100 meters 95% maximum horizontal error. Precise Positioning Service (PPS) to be limited to military users only. The change was prompted by the results of a 1982 interagency study panel consisting of members of the following organizations:

The study panel found that the PPS could be used by adversaries of the U.S. against U.S. military forces. The panel also recommended that SPS be made publicly available at the 100 meter level, with the option to degrade if necessary.

July 14 - NAVSTAR 8 (I-8, PRN 11) launched, declared operational August 10.
April 4 - GLONASS 2, 3 launched.

September 1 - Korean Air Lines flight 007 crosses into Soviet airspace and is shot down.

October 23 - Car bomb destroys U.S. Marine barracks in Beruit.

October 25 - U.S. forces invade Grenada.

December 29 - GLONASS 4, 5 launched.

1984

February 9 - Yuri Andropov dies.

April 11 - Konstantin Chernenko elected president of the Supreme Soviet.

May 19 - GLONASS 6, 7 launched.
June 13 - NAVSTAR 9 (I-9, PRN 13) launched, declared operational July 19.

August - Several nations send minesweepers to Red Sea to clear mines that have been damaging ships. "Islamic Jihad" claims responsibility for mines.

September 4 - GLONASS 8, 9 launched.
September 8 - NAVSTAR 10 (I-10, PRN 12) launched, declared operational October 3.

November 4 - Ronald Reagan wins reelection.

1985

May - Second phase of GLONASS deployment begins.

May 17 - GLONASS 10, 11 launched.
October 9 - NAVSTAR 11 (I-11, PRN 3) launched, declared operational October 30. Last of the Block I satellites, average life has been about 7 years.
December 24 - GLONASS 12, 13 launched.

1986

January 28 - STS-51L (space shuttle Challenger) explodes shortly after launch, beginning a period of US launch failures.

September 16 - GLONASS 14, 15, 16 launched.

1987

April 24 - GLONASS 17, 18, 19 launched.
September 16 - GLONASS 20, 21, 22 launched.

1988

February 17 - GLONASS 23, 24, 25 launched.
May 21 - GLONASS 26, 27, 28 launched.
September 16 - GLONASS 29, 30, 31 launched.

1989

January 10 - GLONASS 32, 33 launched.

February - U.S. Coast Guard assumes responsibility as lead agency within Department of Transportation for acting as civilian point of contact for NAVSTAR information.

February 14 - NAVSTAR 14 (II-1, PRN 14) launched, declared operational April 14.
May 31 - GLONASS 34, 35 launched.
June 10 - NAVSTAR 13 (II-2, PRN 2) launched, declared operational June 10.

June 21 - Contract for Navstar Block IIR satellites awarded to GE (General Electric) Astrospace.

August 17 - NAVSTAR 16 (II-3, PRN 16) launched, declared operational August 17.
October 21 - NAVSTAR 19 (II-4, PRN 19) launched, declared operational October 21.
December 11 - NAVSTAR 17 (II-5, PRN 17) launched, declared operational January 11.

1990

January 24 - NAVSTAR 18 (II-6, PRN 18) launched, declared operational February 14.

March - U.S. DoD activates Selective Availability.

March 25 - NAVSTAR 20 (II-7, PRN 20) launched, declared operational April 19.
May 19 - GLONASS 36, 37, 38 launched.
August 2 - NAVSTAR 21 (II-8, PRN 21) launched, declared operational August 31.
October 10 - NAVSTAR 15 (II-9, PRN 15) launched, declared operational October 20.
November 26 - NAVSTAR 23 (IIA-10, PRN 23) launched, declared operational December 10.
December 8 - GLONASS 39, 40, 41 launched.

1991

April 4 - GLONASS 42, 43, 44 launched.
July 3 - NAVSTAR 24 (IIA-11, PRN 24) launched, declared operational August 30.

July 4 - SA activated at 0400 UT (ref: Notice advisory to NAVSTAR users 121-92282 DTG 011354Z Jul 91.

1992

January 29 - GLONASS 45, 46, 47 launched.
February 23 - NAVSTAR 25 (IIA-12, PRN 25) launched, declared operational March 24.
April 10 - NAVSTAR 28 (IIA-13, PRN 28) launched, declared operational April 25.

May 10 - Two men break into Rockwell International facility with an axe, attempt to destroy NAVSTAR SV 33. Men are apparently protesting use of GPS on Trident submarines.

July 7 - NAVSTAR 26 (IIA-14, PRN 26) launched, declared operational July 23.
July 30 - GLONASS 48, 49, 50 launched.

August 10 - TOPEX/Poseidon ocean observation satellite is launched. Satellite carries GPS to provide a reference between the satellite and the center of the earth.

September 9 - NAVSTAR 27 (IIA-15, PRN 27) launched, declared operational September 30.
November 22 - NAVSTAR 32 (IIA-16, PRN 1) launched, declared operational December 11.
December 18 - NAVSTAR 29 (IIA-17, PRN 29) launched, declared operational January 5.

1993

February 3 - NAVSTAR 22 (IIA-18, PRN 22) launched, declared operational April 4.
February 17 - GLONASS 51, 52, 53 launched.
March 30 - NAVSTAR 31 (IIA-19, PRN 31) launched, declared operational April 13.
May 13 - NAVSTAR 37 (IIA-20, PRN 7) launched, declared operational June 12.

May 27 - DoD and DoT issue a press release announcing a joint study group chartered to investigate management issues of NAVSTAR system.

June 26 - NAVSTAR 39 (IIA-21, PRN 9) launched, declared operational July 20.

July 9 - U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approves use of GPS by civil operators.

August 30 - NAVSTAR 35 (IIA-22, PRN 5) launched, declared operational September 28.

September 24 - GLONASS program officially placed under the auspices of the Russian Military Space Forces.

October 26 - NAVSTAR 34 (IIA-23, PRN 4) launched, declared operational November 29.

December 8 - Secretary of Defense Les Aspin sends a letter to Secretary of Transportation Les Pena that Navstar system has achieved Initial Operational Capacity (IOC).

December 21 - Joint DoD/DoT task force releases issues a press release stating that NAVSTAR system should be jointly managed. Statement is based on increasing civilian use of the system.

1994

February 17 - FAA announces that GPS is now operational and is an integrated part of US air traffic control system.

April 11 - GLONASS 54, 55, 56 launched.
August 11 - GLONASS 57, 58, 59 launched.
August 30 - NAVSTAR 36 (IIA-24, PRN 6) launched.

July 1 -U.S. Coast Guard's Navigation Center (NAVCEN) is commissioned. Event is announced in a press release issued on June 23.

July 17 - U.S. Air Force issues a press release announcing that NAVSTAR system officially reaches full operational capability.

August 3 - The FAA issued a press release announcing the award of a $475 million dollar contract to Wilcox Electric for the development and installation of a Wide Area Augmentation System.

1995

January 24 - TSIKADA launched.

March 7 - The Government of the Russian Federation issues a decree on the use of Glonass for civil users.

June 11 - European Space Agency issues a press release announcing plans to provide independent GPS augmentation under european control for civil use.

1996

March 28 - Navstar 33 (PRN 3), the one attacked by activists with an axe on May 10, 1992 is finally launched.

March 29 - The National Security Council's Office of Science and Technology Policy issues a press release detailing a comprehensive national policy on continued use and management of the Navstar system.

August 8 - The ICAO responds favorably to the Government of the Russian Federation's proposal presenting GLONASS as part of an international aviation navigation resource.

December 31 - Transit satellite system ceases operation at 2359 GMT as called for in the 1994 Federal Radionavigation Plan.

1997

January 17 - A Delta rocket carring the NAVSTAR satellite GPS IIR-1 explodes seven seconds after liftoff.

February 27 - The U.S. Department of Transporation and the Department of Defense issue a press release stating that civil users will have uninterrupted access to the carrier phase portion of the L2 (military only) signal. The press release also states that the capability to deploy a second civilian frequency will included in the upcoming Block IIF NAVSTAR satellites.

May 2 - Air Force Space Command issues the results of an investigation of the January 17 explosion carrying a NAVSTAR satellite. The failure was annouced to have occurred due to the catastrophic failure of one of the nine strap-on solid rocket boosters attached to the first stage of the rocket. It was not known what caused the booster to fail. The engine failure prompted the automatic destruct system to destroy the first stage and remaining strap-on engines. The second and third rocket stages were destroyed by the range safety officer when it was determined that the rest of the rocket was off course.

1998

March 30 - U.S. Department of Transportation press release stating that Vice President Gore announced today that the Navstar system will provide two additional navigation signals intended for civil use. These signals enhance accuracy and availability of the system for civil users. The second frequency is planned to be in operation by the year 2005. The DoD issues a similar press release

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