GPS System might begin to fail in 2010

GPS System Could Fail Next Year, Report Warns

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

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.
[img]
http://www.foxnews.com/images/532878/1_61_satellite_gps_usaf.jpg[/img]
An artist's rendering of a U.S. Air Force Navstar Global Positioning System satellite.

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.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,520636,00.html

What this article doesn't tell you is that A) The E.U. has been developing GNS (Galileo Navigational System) which should also be coming out next year(ish) and B) The United States Air Force tried to patten GPS technology to help pay for the satellites and the technology they engineered but their patten request was denied because the Government is not allowed to patten its developments.

Air Force says that GPS situation is 'under control,' urges you to 'chill out'



http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/21/a...rol-urges-you/

Trust me, the system will not fail.

But spreading this rumor a great way to get backing for the money they want.

Oh no.. y2k part 2 :*(

hah! Y2k part II. nice. We better start filling some caches with water bottles and other supplies. Or, wait. We won't be able to find them. Seriously, if anything, technology is only going to improve.