To keep GPS constellations from drifting, look to the moon

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-10-06T14:47:20.203Z • Permanent link

Global positioning systems (GPS) have become an indispensable component of modern life, with their accuracy and reliability crucial for numerous applications, from navigation and logistics to emergency services and scientific research. However, a critical aspect of maintaining the integrity of GPS constellations has been overlooked: the moon's gravitational influence. Recent studies suggest that without adequate consideration for lunar effects, the positioning systems could drift, leading to significant inaccuracies.

Dr. Amy Recht, a renowned astrophysicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has been at the forefront of research on this topic. Her team's findings indicate that the moon's gravitational pull causes a minute but cumulative shift in the orbits of GPS satellites. This shift, which can accumulate over time, threatens to compromise the precision of the positioning system. To mitigate this issue, Dr. Recht and her colleagues propose incorporating the moon's gravitational effects into the system's algorithms, thereby ensuring the continued accuracy and reliability of GPS.

Industry insiders, including GPS manufacturers like Garmin and Trimble, are taking notice of these findings. In response, some companies have begun incorporating lunar effects into their GPS systems. For instance, the US Air Force's GPS III program now includes a lunar model to account for the moon's gravitational influence on the satellites' orbits. However, the extent to which this correction will be implemented and the timeline for its implementation are still unclear.

The consequences of GPS constellations drifting could be far-reaching, impacting various industries and research communities. Companies that rely on GPS for navigation and logistics, such as UPS and FedEx, would need to reassess their systems to ensure accuracy and reliability. In the scientific community, researchers who rely on GPS for data collection and analysis would face significant challenges, potentially hindering breakthroughs in fields like astrophysics and geology.

The impact on the broader data collection and analysis market would also be substantial. With the increasing reliance on GPS data, companies like Esri and Google Maps would need to adapt their systems to account for the potential inaccuracies. The effects on the satellite imaging market, which relies heavily on GPS data, could be particularly significant, with companies like Planet Labs and DigitalGlobe potentially facing significant challenges.

The issue of GPS constellations drifting is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger pattern of concerns surrounding the accuracy and reliability of positioning systems. The European Union's Galileo navigation system, for example, has faced similar challenges due to issues with its satellite orbits. In response, the EU has invested heavily in research and development to improve the accuracy and reliability of the system.