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The global positioning system, relativity, and extraterrestrial navigation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 January 2010

Neil Ashby  and
Robert A. Nelson
Neil Ashby
Affiliation:
Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309-0390, USA, National Institute of Standards & Technology Affiliate email: ashby@boulder.nist.gov
Robert A. Nelson
Affiliation:
Satellite Engineering Research Corporation, 7710 Woodmont Ave., Suite 1109, Bethesda, MD 20814USA email: robtnelson@aol.com
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Abstract

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Relativistic effects play an important role in the performance of the Global Positioning System (GPS) and in world-wide time comparisons. The GPS has provided a model for algorithms that take relativistic effects into account. In the future exploration of space, analogous considerations will be necessary for the dissemination of time and for navigation. We discuss relativistic effects that are important for a navigation system such as at Mars. We describe relativistic principles and effects that are essential for navigation systems, and apply them to navigation satellites carrying atomic clocks in orbit about Mars, and time transfer between Mars and Earth. It is shown that, as in the GPS, relativistic effects are not negligible.

Keywords

relativitynavigationreference systemstimeGPS
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 5 , Symposium S261: Relativity in Fundamental Astronomy: Dynamics, Reference Frames, and Data Analysis , April 2009 , pp. 22 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

References

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