Main content

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 麻豆社 World Service and 麻豆社 Rewind.
Music composed by Nick Thorburn

Available now

10 minutes

Last on

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

More episodes

Previous

Lithium ion battery

Next

Google Search

See all episodes from World Wise Web

Image credit

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

Broadcasts

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

Podcast

  • World Wise Web

    Teenagers talk to technology pioneers who have shaped their lives