How GPS Really Works: Space, Time, and Your Phone

Host Shanna explains how GPS uses a constellation of satellites, precise timing, and signals measured by your phone to determine location. The episode covers how at least four satellites are used for accuracy and time synchronization, why atomic clocks matter, and what limits GPS—like buildings, tunnels, and water.

It also describes how phones combine GPS with cell towers, Wi‑Fi, and Bluetooth, lists real-world uses from farming to emergency response and weather science, and looks at future improvements like more accurate satellites, regional systems, and quantum GPS.