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How Professor Bradford Parkinson and his team developed GPS: the Global Positioning System.

The digital world only works if it is connected. In the early 1970s, Professor Bradford Parkinson was working with the United States Air Force as an engineer leading the team that developed the Global Positioning System, or GPS, which uses satellites to pinpoint users wherever they are. Sixteen-year-old Malak from Israel finds out from Professor Parkinson how it all came about, and why he still uses maps to sail by.

Producer: Tamsin Barber.

World Wise Web is a co-production between 大象传媒 World Service and 大象传媒 Rewind.
Music composed by Nick Thorburn

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10 minutes

Last on

Mon 3 Feb 2020 04:50GMT
大象传媒 World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean & East Asia only

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Two handheld GPS devices (Credit:聽George Wilhelm/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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  • Sat 1 Feb 2020 05:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service Online, UK DAB/Freeview, News Internet & West and Central Africa only
  • Sat 1 Feb 2020 18:50GMT
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    大象传媒 World Service Europe and the Middle East
  • Sun 2 Feb 2020 15:50GMT
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  • Mon 3 Feb 2020 00:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service South Asia
  • Mon 3 Feb 2020 02:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service East and Southern Africa
  • Mon 3 Feb 2020 04:50GMT
    大象传媒 World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean & East Asia only

Podcast

  • World Wise Web

    Teenagers talk to technology pioneers who have shaped their lives