GPS: The Future of Navigation and Technology Foundations of a Technological Society As we enter the 21st century, we are constantly being bombarded with new technologies. From the wireless community to operations that once took weeks to recover and now only take a day or so, our world will never be the same. Another technology that is revolutionizing the world we live in is the Global Positioning System or GPS. The first GPS satellite was called GPS Block I. Launched in 1978, it was a develop- mental satellite. Another nine Block I satellites were launched through 1988. GPS is the only system today able to show you your exact position on the Earth anytime,