How GPS Was Built
How GPS Was Built — an illustrated inventions story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.
Page 1
Nia traced a finger along the glowing neon vines snaking up the skyscraper wall. "Grandma, it's so cool how nature took over everything," she said, looking up at the cascading waterfalls pouring from broken windows. Ravi, kicking a discarded data pad, asked, "Yeah, but how do people even find their way around this place? I'd get lost instantly!"
Page 2
Farah chuckled. "They use GPS, silly. But that makes me wonder... how did people navigate before GPS?" Nia gasped, her eyes widening. "That's it! I need to know!" She raced toward their apartment building, Ravi hot on her heels. "Wait for me!"
Page 3
Nia burst into her room, a chaotic explosion of science posters and robotics parts. She scrambled for a huge, ancient-looking book on her shelf. "The Invention Encyclopedia will know!" she exclaimed, pulling it down. As she opened the heavy cover, a swirl of golden light enveloped the room, pulling her and Ravi in.
Page 4
They landed with a thump in a bustling military lab, filled with blinking lights and serious-looking people in uniforms. A man with glasses and a determined frown stood over a complex piece of equipment. "It's 1973," Nia whispered, consulting her notebook. "And that must be Dr. Ivan Getting!"
Page 5
Dr. Getting looked up, startled. "Who are you two?" he asked, his voice gruff. Nia stepped forward. "I'm Nia, and this is Ravi. We're here to learn about... about Transit!" Getting sighed, rubbing his temples. "Transit isn't working! I need precise navigation, and all I have are these clunky satellites!"
Page 6
"But Transit worked, right?" Ravi asked, "It helped ships navigate!" Getting frowned. "It did, but only every hour or so. We needed something better and faster!" He pulled up a diagram. "I'm working with Bradford Parkinson. We thought we needed a network of satellites, constantly broadcasting signals."
Page 7
Nia scribbled furiously in her notebook. "So, Transit wasn't good enough, but it was a start. Then, in 1978, you launched the first Block I GPS satellite?" Dr. Getting nodded. "Right. And many more followed! It cost billions – almost 12 billion by 1993! But it was worth it. Precise, global navigation."
Page 8
Ravi looked puzzled. "But if it was for the military, how does everyone use it now?" Getting grinned. "President Reagan opened it up for civilian use in the 1980s. That's when GPS really took off. Now, it's everywhere." Suddenly, the lab began to shimmer.
Page 9
Back in her room, Nia slammed the Invention Encyclopedia shut. "Wow! Bradford Parkinson and Ivan Getting! Imagine inventing something that the whole world relies on now!" She grabbed Ravi's hand, pulling him toward the living room.
Page 10
"Grandma!" Nia shouted. "Guess what? Before GPS, navigation was way harder! You know what Helen Keller said, 'Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all'? Well, those inventors dared to create something amazing, and now we can find our way anywhere!" Farah smiled. "Next time you use your navigation app to find a restaurant, remember the pioneers!"
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
Questions and answers
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