HOW GPS WORKS The GPS consists of three main segments: space, control, and user. Satellites, which are launched into specific orbits and monitored by ground station, transmit information in form of radio signals. Ground stations update the information from satellites and send update signals back to satellites. Users with GPS receivers can decode satellite signals to find helpful information such as a location in a desert. The space segment includes 24 satellites that are launched into six specific orbits to ensure coverage of the whole globe. The six orbits are 20,200 km above the earth. They are 60 degrees apart with 55 degr