GPS

A government report raising questions about the popular satellite navigation system is prompting widespread concerns

Najlah Feanny / Corbis

Hikers do it. Ambulance drivers do it. Even fighter pilots do it. Around the world, millions of people use the global positioning system, or GPS, to know where they are and where they're headed. The satellite-based navigation system has become an indispensable tool for everyone from cell-phone manufacturers to oil drillers, which explains why a government report on GPS released this month prompted a tide of concern. The Government Accountability Office warned of "significant challenges" to maintaining the system at full strength beginning as soon as next year, due to technical problems and delays in a $5.8 billion plan to...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!