UPSC Exam > UPSC Questions > Consider the following statements with respec...
Start Learning for Free
Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):
1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.
2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earth's surface.
3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- a)1 only
- b)1 and 3 only
- c)2 and 3 only
- d)2 only
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning S...
- The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provides geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites.
- This system consists of three segments: the space segment, the control segment, and the user segment.
- Space segment: GPS space segment consists of a constellation of satellites transmitting radio signals to users. GPS satellites fly in medium Earth orbit (MEO) at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km. Each satellite circles the Earth twice a day. The satellites in the GPS constellation are arranged into six equally-spaced orbital planes surrounding the Earth. Each plane contains four "slots" occupied by baseline satellites. This 24-slot arrangement ensures users can view at least four satellites from virtually any point on the planet.
- The Space Force normally flies more than 24 GPS satellites to maintain coverage whenever the baseline satellites are serviced or decommissioned. The extra satellites may increase GPS performance but are not considered part of the core constellation. To ensure this commitment, the U.S. Space Force has been flying 31 operational GPS satellites for well over a decade. Hence statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.
- Control segment: The GPS control segment consists of a global network of ground facilities that track the GPS satellites, monitor their transmissions, perform analyses, and send commands and data to the constellation.
- User segment: The user segment consists of the GPS receiver equipment, which receives the signals from the GPS satellites and uses the transmitted information to calculate the user's three-dimensional position and time.
- The satellites have a speed of 3.9 km per second and a nominal period of half a sidereal day, repeating the geometry each sidereal day. Hence statement 3 is correct. x GPS is an essential element of the global information infrastructure. GPS boosts productivity across a wide swath of the economy, to include farming, construction, mining, surveying, package delivery, and logistical supply chain management. Major communications networks, banking systems, financial markets, and power grids depend heavily on GPS for precise time synchronization. Some wireless services cannot operate without it.
Most Upvoted Answer
Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning S...
Analysis of GPS Statements
To determine the correctness of the statements about the Global Positioning System (GPS), let's break down each statement:
Statement 1: GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.
- This statement is correct. The GPS constellation indeed comprises 24 operational satellites, distributed across six orbital planes. Each plane has four satellites, ensuring global coverage.
Statement 2: The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earth's surface.
- This statement is also correct. The GPS constellation is designed to ensure that at least four satellites are visible from any point on Earth, and typically, there are more than eight satellites in view, which is essential for accurate positioning.
Statement 3: The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.
- This statement is incorrect. The orbital period of GPS satellites is approximately 12 hours, which is not half of a sidereal day (which is about 23.93 hours). Thus, the statement does not hold true.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis:
- Statement 1: Correct
- Statement 2: Correct
- Statement 3: Incorrect
Thus, the correct answer is option 'B' (1 and 3 only), as it states that only Statement 1 is correct.
To determine the correctness of the statements about the Global Positioning System (GPS), let's break down each statement:
Statement 1: GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.
- This statement is correct. The GPS constellation indeed comprises 24 operational satellites, distributed across six orbital planes. Each plane has four satellites, ensuring global coverage.
Statement 2: The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earth's surface.
- This statement is also correct. The GPS constellation is designed to ensure that at least four satellites are visible from any point on Earth, and typically, there are more than eight satellites in view, which is essential for accurate positioning.
Statement 3: The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.
- This statement is incorrect. The orbital period of GPS satellites is approximately 12 hours, which is not half of a sidereal day (which is about 23.93 hours). Thus, the statement does not hold true.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis:
- Statement 1: Correct
- Statement 2: Correct
- Statement 3: Incorrect
Thus, the correct answer is option 'B' (1 and 3 only), as it states that only Statement 1 is correct.
|
Explore Courses for UPSC exam
|
|
Similar UPSC Doubts
Top Courses for UPSCView all
Question Description
Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? for UPSC 2025 is part of UPSC preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the UPSC exam syllabus. Information about Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for UPSC 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?.
Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? for UPSC 2025 is part of UPSC preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the UPSC exam syllabus. Information about Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for UPSC 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for UPSC.
Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for UPSC Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of
Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an
ample number of questions to practice Consider the following statements with respect to Global Positioning System (GPS):1. GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites in six medium-earth orbital planes with four satellites in each orbital plane.2. The orbits are arranged so that at least eight satellites are always within line of sight from everywhere on the Earths surface.3. The orbital period of every satellite is one-half a sidereal day.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?a)1 onlyb)1 and 3 onlyc)2 and 3 onlyd)2 onlyCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice UPSC tests.
|
|
Explore Courses for UPSC exam
|
|
Signup to solve all Doubts
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
|
© EduRev
|
Education Revolution
|
|
Signup to see your scores
go up within 7 days!
Access 1000+ FREE Docs, Videos and Tests
Takes less than 10 seconds to signup