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alexcztoday at 12:45 PM1 replyview on HN

It gets even more interesting if you take into account how the satellites know where they are. Around the world there are fundamental stations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_station

I had the opportunity to visit one. Basically they measure their own position in relation to each other. They do that with Very-long-baseline interferometry, basically what is the time difference of quasar radio signals hitting their Radio telescopes. The things they account for is wild like local gravity field a couple of super prices atomic clocks etc. they then laser range find Satellites (all not only gps) which is a „fun“ summer student job at least at the one that I visited.


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sorztoday at 1:02 PM

So gound stations need keep measuring their own positions due to continental drift! Never thought that before. Thanks.

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