MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Contacts: JPL/Rosemary Sullivant or Carolina Martinez
(818) 354-0474 or 9382
NavCom Technology Inc./Sandra Zeitzew (310) 937-7460 x268
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2001
NASA SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY GOES DOWN ON THE FARM
Some of the people closest to the land will be the first
to benefit from a new global positioning technology developed
to make NASA satellites more efficient and cost-effective.
Farmers will soon get the chance to put the new system to
the test through a partnership between NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and NavCom Technology Inc., a
wholly owned subsidiary of Deere & Company, Moline, Ill.
Tractors will be equipped with receivers providing
instant location information, which is vital for precision
farming. The technology will allow farmers to navigate fields
at night and when visibility is poor. More importantly, with
soil sensors and other monitors, it will let them calculate
and map out precisely where their fields may need more water,
fertilizer or weed control, saving both time and money.
The system combines software developed by JPL and real-
time global positioning system (GPS) data from the NASA Global
GPS Network to produce corrections to the GPS orbits and
clocks. These corrections are broadcast to people using
communication satellites operated by NavCom, which has
licensed the Internet-based Global Differential GPS software
from JPL's parent institution, the California Institute of
Technology in Pasadena, and plans to market the system this
summer.
"NASA's Earth Science Enterprise supports pioneering
exploration and discovery of our home planet, while providing
America and the world with practical societal benefits from
our research," said Dr. Ghassem Asrar, associate administrator
for the Office of Earth Sciences, NASA Headquarters,
Washington, D.C.
"Our agreement with NavCom will accelerate NASA's ability
to develop, test and demonstrate the utility of global, real-
time, precise GPS positioning for scientific and public
applications," said John LaBrecque, manager, Solid Earth and
Natural Hazards Program, NASA's Office of Earth Sciences.
While existing GPS data can be used to locate a position
within a few meters, the new Global Differential GPS system
provides an instantaneous position to within 10 centimeters (4
inches) horizontally and 20 centimeters (8 inches) vertically
anywhere on Earth. No other system provides the same
combination of accuracy and coverage.
In space, the new technology may enable improved
performance by NASA's Earth-observing satellites. Since the
satellites will have precise information on their position,
the information may make onboard data processing more
efficient and reduce the time needed to transmit the data to
the ground. NASA also expects this new positioning technology
to open the possibility for new airborne exploration
techniques through more accurately controlled flights of
airborne sensors.
"In the area of natural hazard monitoring, real-time data
from radar and ground networks of GPS receivers might provide
the ability to monitor volcanic activity precisely and in real
time, as well as the motion before, during and after major
earthquakes," said Dr. Yoaz Bar-Sever, task manager of the
NASA global differential GPS demonstration at JPL.
The system's ability to provide precise positioning
information in real time has a variety of potential commercial
applications in aviation, marine operations, land management,
transportation and agriculture.
The Commercial Technology Office at JPL is responsible
for the collaboration between JPL and NavCom, which will
provide NASA with a continuous, GPS differential-correction
signal and also will invest in improving the NASA GPS
infrastructure. This collaboration is just one of several JPL
programs designed to bring the benefits of the space program
to American industry.
NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C., funds
the development of the Global Differential GPS system. The
Enterprise is a long-term research effort dedicated to
understanding how human-induced and natural changes affect our
global environment.
More information about the Internet-based global
differential GPS software is available online at:
http://gipsy.jpl.nasa.gov/igdg/ .
#####
NOTE TO BROADCASTERS: Satellite interviews are available with
Yoaz Bar-Sever, task manager of the NASA global differential
GPS demonstration at JPL and Tenny Sharpe, director of Deere
programs at NavCom Technology Inc., Thursday, May 10. For
more information, contact Jack Dawson by calling 818/354-0040
or by e-mail at:
jack.b.dawson@jpl.nasa.gov
Animation and b-roll associated with this release is scheduled
to air on NASA Television on May 9 to May 11 at noon, 3 p.m.,
6 p.m., 9 p.m. and midnight EDT. NASA TV is available at GE-
2, Transponder 9C at 85 degrees West longitude, with vertical
polarization. Frequency is on 3880 MHz with audio on 6.8 MHz.
The complete NASA TV feed schedule is available on the
Internet at:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv/
5/8/01 CM
#2001-097