Hidden GPS Navigator 1,000 miles off the West Coast of Africa
A mysterious and vital device called the Critical GPS Antenna is concealed in the middle of the vast Atlantic Ocean. It's located 1,000 miles off the west coast of Africa, and it does more than just help ships and planes navigate. This secret installation is actually part of a worldwide network that helps to keep the world's navigational systems like Google Maps, MapQuest and Waze running smoothly.
It's like a conductor who directs an orchestra, but instead of musicians, this antenna helps satellites communicate with each other. It's essential for many things, including global cooperation, military actions, and advanced technology. Although hidden from view, this antenna is a crucial part of our modern world.
Ascension Island hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in operating the Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS is a navigation system that uses satellites to help vehicles, ships, aircraft, and pedestrians navigate. The island's remote location minimizes interference from other signals and radio frequency noise. This isolation enhances the accuracy and reliability of GPS signal reception and transmission.
Critical GPS Antenna located 1,000 miles off the west coast of Africa.
Historically, Ascension Island has served as a crucial refueling and military outpost. Its strategic significance made it an attractive location for military-controlled operations like those involved in developing and maintaining GPS.
Ascension Island is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom around 1,000 miles or 1,610 km from the West coast of Africa. It is a sparsely inhabited island discovered and named Ascension in 1503 by Portuguese navigator Afonso de Albuquerque, who sighted the island on the Feast Day of the Ascension.
The island is in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa. Ascension has no indigenous or permanent residents and is inhabited only by persons contracted to work on the island, mainly with the United Kingdom and the US military or in the space and communications industries.
The island hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in operating the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system. The others are on Diego Garcia, a British Indian Ocean Territory, Kwajalein Marshall Islands, and Cape Canaveral, Florida, in the USA.
Ascension Island is situated near the equator, making it an advantageous location for tracking satellites in both the northern and southern hemispheres. The proximity to the equator allows for better coverage and more efficient satellite communication.
Ascension Island provides a secure environment for the establishment of ground control stations. The isolated nature of the island makes it easier to control access and protect the infrastructure, ensuring the safety and confidentiality of GPS operations. The island is of volcanic origin, with its landscape featuring rugged terrain and volcanic craters. Despite its relatively small size, Ascension Island's unique topography provides suitable locations for installing GPS equipment.
In addition to GPS operations, Ascension Island hosts a NASA tracking station. This station supports space exploration missions, showcasing the island's importance in navigation and space communication. NASA and the US Air Force operate a Meter-Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) on Ascension as part of the deep space surveillance system for tracking orbital debris, which can be hazardous to spacecraft and astronauts.
