In use by the maritime and survey sectors for several years, satellite navigation (sat nav) receivers are now a routine element in digital networks, mobile phones, cars, taxis, buses, trucks, and the aviation and leisure markets.
Satellite navigation (sat nav) enables users to locate exactly where they are, anywhere on Earth, using a receiver that reads highly accurate time signals from a number of orbiting spacecraft.
In-car sat nav Credit: ESA-P. SebirotSat nav in cars has become common and sat nav on mobile phones is an emerging trend. Yet sat nav offers far more than guidance from A to B and the ability to track goods or vehicles across the country.
In the UK, global navigation by satellite is being considered for use in a wide range of applications. These include civil aviation, precision navigation, train control, road user charging, hazardous cargo monitoring, offender tracking and care for the elderly.
The influence of sat nav on our daily lives is set to increase still further when Europe's advanced Galileo constellation of 30 satellites is in place in 2013.
