The Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite from 65438 to 0957. Later, the applied physics laboratory of Johns Hopkins University tracked and observed the satellite by radio, and found that there was a one-to-one correspondence between the Doppler frequency shift curve of the measured electric wave signal and the satellite motion. This means that the receiving station located at a known position on the ground can determine the orbit of the satellite as long as it can measure the Doppler frequency shift curve of the satellite in its field of view. On the other hand, if the orbit position of the satellite is known, the geographical position of the receiving station can also be determined according to the Doppler frequency shift curve measured by the receiving station. This is the first US Navy Navigation Satellite System (NNSS) put into operation in the world, that is, meridian system.

Meridian system was completed and put into use in 1964, and opened to the global civil use in 1967, which opened up the history of satellite navigation in the world.

In order to meet the urgent requirements of American military and civilian departments for continuous real-time three-dimensional navigation. 1973, the us department of defense made a GPS plan.

The GPS implementation plan is divided into three stages:

The first stage is the scheme demonstration and preliminary design stage. From 1973 to 1979, four experimental satellites were launched. A ground receiver is developed and a ground tracking network is established.

The second stage is a comprehensive development and testing stage. From 1979 to 1984, seven experimental satellites were launched and various receivers were developed. Experiments show that the positioning accuracy of GPS far exceeds the design standard.

The third stage is the actual networking stage. 1February 4, 989 successfully launched the first working GPS satellite, which marked that the GPS system entered the stage of engineering construction. At the end of 1993, the GPS constellation of the practical GPS network (21+3) was built, and the failed satellites will be replaced as planned in the future.

There was no satellite technology during World War II, so there was no GPS navigation.