To this end, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

To this end, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) proposed a global positioning network called Tinmation, consisting of 12 to 18 satellites operating at an altitude of 10,000 km. In 1967, 1969, and 1974, the NRL launched one experimental satellite each year, on which they conducted preliminary tests of an atomic-clock timing system—the very foundation upon which GPS’s precise positioning relies. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force proposed Plan 621-B, which envisioned three to four satellite constellations, each comprising 4 to 5 satellites. Of these satellites, only one would operate in geosynchronous orbit, while the rest would follow inclined orbits with a period of 24 hours. This plan relied on pseudorandom noise (PRN) codes to transmit satellite ranging signals, and its remarkable capability allowed it to detect signals even when their density was less than 1% of the ambient noise level. The successful application of pseudorandom codes became a crucial cornerstone of GPS’s ultimate success. The Navy’s plan was primarily designed to provide low-dynamic, two-dimensional positioning for ships, whereas the Air Force’s plan aimed to deliver high-dynamic services; however, the Air Force’s system turned out to be overly complex. Since developing both systems simultaneously would have entailed enormous costs, and given that both plans were originally intended to provide global positioning, in 1973 the U.S. Department of Defense merged the two into a single system. The joint program was led by the Joint Program Office (JPO), headed by the Department of Defense, and its operational headquarters were established at the Air Force Space Division in Los Angeles. The JPO comprised a large number of members, including representatives from the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Department of Transportation, Defense Mapping Agency, NATO, and Australia.

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