GPS vs. Galileo; Where Are They Headed?

ben_ writes "This keynote speech from the recent European Navigation Conference talks about the history between the US military's GPS and the proposed EU Galileo system, as well as where they're both going. Interested in how you know where you are and what's going to happen to those satellites?"

Where are they going?

[Log from Blammo]

I'd say they'll be going in circles around the planet.

Re:Where are they going?

[dark-br]

I would be more concerned about where they will be *going down* anytime soon :)

We can't us the EU system

[Prince Vegeta SSJ4]

here in the US, how the hell would we read Metres and Kilometers, and hectares and such, give us our Miles.

Problem: Hmmm, Ive got 100 kilometers to my destination and 15 gallons of gas. I am driving an Hummer H2, that gets 9 miles a gallon, can I make it? Solution: It doesn't matter, the H2 can't drive around the corner before needing a refuel.

Re:Once this is in place…

[Zoidbergo]

Whatchu talkin' about? They never found the new world intentionally to begin with - they got lost, remember? :)

Re:Essential to Ending US Dominance

[PetoskeyGuy]

As long as GPS is the only game in town, the US has a stranglehold on the superpower market. The US can regulate the GPS satellites and could cut off anyone else at any time. Seeing as GPS has revolutionized warfare, this means the US gets an automatic bonus in any war.

That's right, they get a +5 accuracy on all medium and long range weapons.

Re:Where ever they are going...

[Lehk228]

would be too dangerous to the rest of the population.

Yup, broadcasting through hundreds of feet of rock would probably end up cooking everything on the surface

Re:Where ever they are going...

[MrIrwin]

How can cave exploring be dangerous to the rest of the population.

Mind you, a did see a documentry about the spielologists retained by the city of Naples to try and map it's enourmous network of caves and tunnels. These people keep turning up unexpectedly in peoples basements!

One small problem I can see ...

[El_Smack]

... is that if I can alwas tell exactly where I am through GPS, I'll never know how fast I'm going.
The speeding tickets alone are going to kill me.