Host Stewart Alsop and Richard Easton cover the history of GPS, focusing on the critical enabling technology of ultra precise timing through atomic clocks. Listen here.
Tag Archives: Richard Easton
Richard Debunks GPS Myth on History Rage Podcast
Richard joined host Paul Bavill on the History Rage podcast to address the persistent myth that President Ronald Reagan authorized civilian GPS use after the Soviet Union shot down Korean Airlines Flight 007 in 1983. As detailed in GPS Declassified, the system was always intended to have commercial applications, and nonmilitary receivers were already on the market at least a year before the shoot-down occurred.
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Richard Joins NRL Pioneers on The Space Show
Richard recently joined Naval Research Labs space pioneers Lee Hammarstrom and Pete Wilhelm on The Space Show with David Livingston. Among the many topics they discussed were the origin and evolution of GPS and recently declassified satellite technology known as PARCAE.
This secret reconnaissance system was designed to detect and collect Soviet radar signals globally. GPS’s ability to provide accurate geolocation greatly enhanced PARCAE’s capabilities.
The podcast runs 2 hours, 16 minutes.
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Richard Joins NRL’s Pete Wilhelm on The Space Show
Host David Livingston recently hosted Richard Easton and Peter Wilhelm, retired director of the Naval Research Lab’s Naval Center for Space Technology, for a broad-ranging discussion about Wilhelm’s pioneering work with satellites and his involvement with the development of GPS.
Wilhelm was involved with several classified programs, and briefly discussed his work on the first spy satellite under a program called GRAB, that was recently declassified. He also talked about how his career led him to meet people like Werner Von Braun and Elon Musk.
Don’t miss this conversation with a true satellite pioneer.
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“From Vanguard to GPS”– Richard Talks History at A-Ibanez Museum Gallery
Richard Easton recently spoke to a group at the A-Ibanez Museum Gallery in Kilmarnock, Va., about the historical role his father and the Naval Research Laboratory played in developing the satellite technologies that became the Global Positioning System.
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Richard Easton Discusses GPS History on The Space Shot Podcast
Richard recently spoke with John Mulnix, host of The Space Shot podcast, in a wide-ranging discussion about GPS. The conversation covers a basic overview of the technological workings of the system, some little-known early history of its development and how GPS today serves vital military and civilian needs. Listen to Episode 403 here.
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Richard Easton interviewed on TOCRadio Podcast
Richard kicked off the new year with an appearance on TOCRadio’s Podcast Episode 19. In a wide-ranging interview, hosts Wyatt Harper and Matt Schoenfeldt queried him about the historical development of GPS and the arrival of GPS III satellites, which are finally launching after years of delays. Richard debunked the common myth that President Ronald Reagan declassified GPS for its first civilian use, discussed how GPS impacted the Persian Gulf War, summarized ongoing challenges related to spoofing and jamming, and raised the policy issue posed by whether new military receivers should incorporate other GNSS signals.
TOCRadio is a military-themed podcast produced by LTC Matt Schoenfeldt and CPT Wyatt Harper.
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ION Newsletter Features Easton and Frazier
The Institute of Navigation Quarterly Newsletter, Vol. 27, No. 3 (Summer 2017), page 10, published a feature article, GPS Historians Spread a PNT Gospel, about several recent public talks Richard Easton and Eric Frazier have presented, including one that appeared on C-SPAN’s American History TV.
The authors continue to mine historical factors in the development of GPS that provide relevant signposts for the technology going forward.
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Easton and Frazier Speak at Peterson AFB
Richard Easton and Eric Frazier were recently invited by the National Security Space Institute (NSSI), located at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., to speak to students and faculty.
The two-day visit included a 90-minute presentation, July 21, as part of the Space Professionals Speaker Series, hosted by Gen. John E. Hyten, Commander, Air Force Space Command.
The authors got a behind-the-scenes tour of the GPS ground control facility at nearby Schriever AFB and met more than a dozen of the over 100 members of the 2nd Space Operations Squadron, who keep the GPS constellation running smoothly 24/7.
Easton and Frazier presented their talk, “GPS: Military Asset, Public Utility,” five times in all, including to the space professionals community, to three classes of NSSI students from the United States and allies, and to a faculty gathering.
For two individuals who have devoted countless hours to researching the historical development of GPS, as well as its economic and sociological implications, Easton and Frazier consider it a rare treat to have the opportunity to meet the experts who manage GPS and see firsthand the facilities they operate.
View the entire talk at YouTube:
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GPS Update – The Space Show
On March 1, Richard Easton and Eric Frazier joined Dr. David Livingston, host of The Space Show, for a discussion about GPS modernization. Topics included new capabilities, schedule delays, cost overruns, international competition and potential threats to the system–a concern shared by many listeners, as evidenced by questions posed by email and callers. You can listen to the podcast here.
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