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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Global Warming Could Disrupt GPS Satellites, Study Says


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A satellite in the Navstar global positioning system (GPS) orbits above Earth.

The same carbon dioxide gas that is a main contributor to global warming is also causing the planet's upper atmosphere to cool and contract, new research says. The shift could impact how satellites and other spacecraft are launched and how well GPS satellites send their signals back to Earth.

Photograph courtesy Air Force Research Laboratory