Scratch That Internet GPS—Sort of

Regular “Daily Report” readers will recall Air Force Space Command’s recent announcement of a link between the Global Positioning System and the Internet that would let users access data on-demand. The GPS gurus at the 50th Space Wing, Schriever AFB, Colo., have clarified the announcement, saying there is a six-month effort ongoing by a team of airmen and civilian contractors that they believe will lead to a program that would compile data from all 27 GPS satellites available, rather than just two or three as is the current practice for accessing GPS signals. Right now, the group already has provided a means for military GPS users to get files that fix inaccuracies in the satellite signal. One key aim of the effort is to make GPS-guided munitions even more accurate. Schriever spokesman Ed Parsons told us Wednesday that a GPS receiver is still needed by the end user to obtain satellite information, as opposed to simply logging on to a network that disperses the signal. Parsons cautioned that the project is “still in the early phases of development.”