I'm just going to throw this out there, it's coming from the Prophecy Research Institute Newsletter, of July 1999: Satellites Go Boing: August 21 marks the end of what is called "the nautical satellite epoch" which lasts 1040 weeks. For whatever reason, every satellite in orbit is set to this naval system, and it means that all of their internal clocks will reset to "OOOO" on that date. We have no idea what will happen. Most of the satellites MAY reset themselves and continue to run smoothly, but the greater probability is that their hard drives will all crash in the orbital equivalent of the Y2K phenomenon. There will of course be no one there to push the "reset" button. This means we are looking at a potential failure of all telecommunications, ATM cards, cellular phones, global TV transmissions, Global Positioning Systemm I have spoken to a number of Y2K experts, who believe THIS DATE is the real threat. Everything on the ground can be replaced, jacked with, crawled into and fixed. But this would mean we would have to replace 80% of the older satellites in space which carry most of the communications workload. We could be deaf, dumb and blind for a year.

This is Judy, we all leave our thoughts and ideas on the ground and forget to look up. Hope some expert will comment on the above. Thanks

-- Judy (JUDYMARYE@oal.com), August 10, 1999

Answers

Global positioning sattalites will roll over. Only known affects are on old commercial equipment like hand held locators, possibly some shipping navigation, I assume aircraft have been updated. Some possible affects on scada system used by power companies? notsure. Not end of world on this date, but could see some affects.

-- rambo (rambo@thewoods.com), August 10, 1999.

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

http://www.flatoday.com/space/today/080999a.htm

Aug. 9, 1999

Global Positioning System calendar faces rollover

Air Force Materiel Command Year 2000 Program Office News Release

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio - Engineers working on the Year 2000 computer problem will be watching as the Global Positioning System experiences an end-of-week rollover Aug. 21.

The Y2K bug watchers will follow the transition from one 1,024-week cycle to another, because of similar potential consequences: possible receiver failure, malfunctions, and inaccurate time and location data -- an early taste of troubles that Y2K could generate as the positioning system's timekeeping cycle resets to a new cycle.

"We can't consider ourselves ready for contingencies, such as Y2K, if we don't test our ability to organize and effectively manage situations," said Capt. John Rankin, Air Force Materiel Command deputy Y2K program manager. "We don't anticipate any adverse mission impacts, but we have to be ready to respond regardless of our expectations."

GPS computes time and date values based on a 1,024-week cycle, instead of a 365-day year. Inaugurated Jan. 6, 1980, this unusual timekeeping system uses a 10-digit binary number to mark time. The cycle runs out of 10-digit numbers at midnight between August 21 and 22.

The 24 GPS satellites that orbit 12,000 miles above Earth are typically used for navigation; however, GPS also serves as a precise clock that feeds and synchronizes time for countless system applications throughout the world.

GPS generates a time stamp on its satellite transmissions ensuring the correct data from each satellite is used. The system uses composite readings from 230 atomic clocks around the globe to track absolute and relative time down to a nanosecond. With such extraordinary accuracy, GPS receivers are used in local and wide area networks, bank automated teller machine systems, public utilities, radar nets and cellular phone towers to synchronize transactions and transmissions.

The GPS Joint Program Office at the Space and Missile Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., reports GPS satellites are unaffected by the EOW rollover and Y2K key dates in 1999 and 2000; however, GPS receivers and ground equipment can be affected, especially if they were procured by other than the GPS program office.

When other sources were used to acquire GPS receivers -- notably small, hand-held commercial receivers -- users should contact the manufacturers to determine EOW compliance.

To counter possible EOW problems, users should have contingency plans with suitable workarounds or recovery procedures. For a majority of problems that could be encountered, simply cycling the power of the receiver, clearing the memory and obtaining a new almanac should solve the problem. Users should contact manufacturers to learn about their specific receivers.

Part of the Y2K "dress rehearsal" will involve activation of headquarters and base battle staffs throughout the command. Activation will enable the command to exercise and test its recently published Y2K Consequence Management Plan.

The GPS rollover and other Y2K-related information are available for military readers at the Space & Missile Center located at http://www.laafb.af.mil/SMC/CZ/homepage/y2000/body.htm.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), August 10, 1999.

I'm just going to throw this out there, it's coming from the Prophecy Research Institute Newsletter, of July 1999: Satellites Go Boing: August 21 marks the end of what is called "the nautical satellite epoch" which lasts 1040 weeks. For whatever reason, every satellite in orbit is set to this naval system, and it means that all of their internal clocks will reset to "OOOO" on that date. We have no idea what will happen. Most of the satellites MAY reset themselves and continue to run smoothly, but the greater probability is that their hard drives will all crash in the orbital equivalent of the Y2K phenomenon. There will of course be no one there to push the "reset" button. This means we are looking at a potential failure of all telecommunications, ATM cards, cellular phones, global TV transmissions, Global Positioning Systemm I have spoken to a number of Y2K experts, who believe THIS DATE is the real threat. Everything on the ground can be replaced, jacked with, crawled into and fixed. But this would mean we would have to replace 80% of the older satellites in space which carry most of the communications workload. We could be deaf, dumb and blind for a year.

Whew! Talk about jumping to conclusions based on little (and faulty) information! I think this "Institute" is already deaf, dumb, and blind. Or might as well be.

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), August 10, 1999.

Thanks Lane for calling a spade a spade.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), August 10, 1999.

Okay, Maria. And... I think I feel an essay coming on....

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), August 10, 1999.

Go for it, Lane!

-- pshannon (pshannon@inch.com), August 10, 1999.

And if you want to post it BOTH here and as a separpate thread, go ahead.

chuck wearing his Moderator hat

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), August 10, 1999.

Yes that would be a 2 scalped thread

Chuck darn rented fingers

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), August 10, 1999.

Wow! I agreed with Lane and you take it how? As something that needs a moderator? Sorry for the misunderstanding.

-- Maria (anon@ymous.com), August 10, 1999.

Maria, I thought Lane's "thanks" was to you, and that the budding essay was triggered by the original post.

-- Faith Weaver (suzsolutions@yahoo.com), August 10, 1999.

Oh, and Maria, the Moderator (sort of like Forum Police)was just inviting Lane, who has many appreciative readers here, to post any essay he would pen as a new thread as well as a response, because a lot of us who would want to hear Lane's comments might miss it if it were posted only as a response to this thread.

Didn't want you to feel you were being picked on. Enjoy your comments.

-- Faith Weaver (suzsolutions@yahoo.com), August 10, 1999.

Thanks, Faith. Truly, I had not intended to write about GPS. But, if that quotation is a sample of what's going around.... Well, I can hardly resist!

-- Lane Core Jr. (elcore@sgi.net), August 10, 1999.

Bunch of hooey.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), August 11, 1999.

Judy, the information you've apparently received from this " Prophecy Research Institute Newsletter" is seriously flawed. Most is simply and absolutely dead wrong - and even those few bits and pieces that are (by themselves) partially correct, are combined together incorrectly

So - go back to the beginning: re-read the GPS information provided - it is valid information - and take a deep breathe. Calm down.

Second, I would strongly recommend ignoring other information from this source: one false claim doesn't invalidate other statements, but the severe and absolutely false "data" you were given means nothing else they could say can be relied upon.

Third: What are your specific concerns about satellites? I'd rather Maria or I (or some other source) answer your actual questions rather than write another far-reaching text on the whole thing that is still likely to skip actual info you want.

Short answer: one system (the Global Positioning System (GPS)) of satellites is widely used for time reference and navigation. The satellites themselves are controlled from earth-based stations who receive their power and control signals from earth-based computers and the grid, the phone systems, etc. The satellites themselves appear to be okay - and of course, can't be reached.

The control program will reset itself in a few days. Most modern GPS receivers (earth-based links that "listen" to these satellites) should "trip" throught the reset period okay. Some may have to be "reset" manually, but then are expected to continue running.

Older GPS receievers might fail - or might reset, or might do nothing. Different manufactors have said different things. In any case, the only link between this and other satellites that are already launched (the other thousand-plus that are up there) is tenuous - the rest are not usually designed to rely on satellite data since they are in orbit and keep losing the signal at both satellites go behind the earth.

There could be problems - but we shall see. Worst case conditions are a huge loss of money if the actual satellites fail - but they were designed to reset at this point - and so should be okay.

But, unexpected things have happened before. Losing the GPS system would NOT be catastrophic here - expensive and inconvenient to be sure, but not catastropic.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), August 11, 1999.