Boeing

United States Space Foundation inducted the Boeing Global Positioning System (GPS) program into its Space Technology Hall of Fame at its banquet held April 9th during its annual National Space Symposium held in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Boeing, prime contractor of the GPS II/IIA satellite system now in use and currently contracted to produce the next-generation GPS IIF constellation, was one of 10 companies recognized for its work on this outstanding Air Force program. The Boeing Satellite Systems organization, based in Downey, Calif., performs program activities for GPS.

Nominations were solicited from throughout the space industry, as well as U.S. government agencies. The selection process is both rigorous and objective, with each nomination evaluated against clearly defined criteria by a panel of prestigious industry judges. Space technologies honored have in some way transformed a technology originally developed for space into commercially available products, increased public awareness of the benefits of space-developed technologies, and encouraged further innovations.

Originally developed to aid military navigation, GPS has revolutionized the way the world navigates. Millions of people use the Navstar GPS to accurately locate their position or plot their travels from anywhere on the planet.

GPS currently is in use on military, civil and commercial airplanes, ships and boats, automobiles, emergency vehicles, and by hikers and bird watchers.