#gps

[asoftepiloguemylove]

break my arms around the one i love

poem: Shauna Barbosa GPS art: @mmelodyj / unknown / Ainslie Hogarth Motherthing / Keaton St. James HISTORY STUDENT FALLS IN LOVE WITH ASTRO PHYSICS STUDENT / @555w4 / unknown / Ada Limón The Good Fight / @sunsbleeding

[ravensvalley]

#RelocationTime

Mountainous Parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

@BenAdrienProulx October 4th, 2023.

[blackinhistory]

Gladys West

Overcoming racial and gender barriers, she charted a course that led her to become a “hidden figure” behind the ubiquitous Global Positioning System (GPS). West’s work has had a profound impact on how we navigate the world today. Her story illuminates often-overlooked contributions of diverse voices in scientific progress. So, how's her work connected to the present?

Gladys West was born in 1930 in rural Sutherland, Virginia. Her family was an Black farming family and she spent much of her childhood working on the farm, surrounded by sharecroppers. Despite the challenges, she excelled in school and was determined to get an education. West's childhood on a farm instilled in her a deep understanding of precision and calculation. Despite limited resources and societal constraints, she excelled in academics, graduating with a mathematics degree from Virginia State University and went on to earn two master's degrees and a PhD. Her talent propelled her to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, where she embarked on a remarkable 42-year career. It was also there she met her husband, Ira, married in 1957, and had 3 children. She was the 2nd Black woman ever hired, and 1 of 4 Black employees, her husband included.

There, with the backdrop of Cold War tensions and burgeoning space exploration, West tackled complex mathematical problems related to satellite geodesy. This specialized field, equivalent to deciphering Earth's celestial fingerprint, held the key to precisely pinpointing locations in space. West's meticulous calculations, particularly for the groundbreaking Seasat and GEOSAT satellites, became the invisible scaffolding upon which the modern GPS system was built.

For decades, her contributions remained largely unacknowledged due to her race and gender. Yet, the accuracy and efficiency of her work spoke volumes. The precise models she developed for Earth's gravitational field and its subtle variations due to tides and other forces became the bedrock of GPS calculations. Today, whether navigating city streets or pinpointing remote wilderness locations, we unknowingly benefit from West's invisible hand.

Recognition finally arrived later in life. In 2018, the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame inducted West, acknowledging her transformative impact. That same year, the BBC included West among its "100 Women," recognizing her groundbreaking contributions. Just three years later, the Royal Academy of Engineering in the UK bestowed upon her their highest individual honor, the Prince Philip Medal, cementing her place as a pioneer in her field. But her legacy extends far beyond accolades. Gladys West stands as a beacon of inspiration, not just for aspiring mathematicians, but for anyone facing systemic barriers. Her story reminds us that the path to groundbreaking discoveries is often paved by those who defy expectations and chart their own unique course.

Photo Source: Wikimedia Source: Wikipedia Source: BBC Source: Britannica Source:  Atlanta Black Star

[tavloi]

my kinlist if you even care

also song

[rupertbbare]

"The Soviet space program used completely different controls and instruments from American spacecraft. One of the most interesting navigation instruments onboard Soyuz spacecraft was the Globus, which used a rotating globe to indicate the spacecraft's position above the Earth. This navigation instrument was an electromechanical analog computer that used an elaborate system of gears, cams, and differentials to compute the spacecraft's position. Officially, the unit was called a "space navigation indicator" with the Russian acronym ИНК (INK)"

Source:

[semidead666]

dumps your stupid shamshake on the floor

[tnmsketchpadmini]

recover!

[girlactionfigure]

[welele]

[asoftepiloguemylove]

ON NATURE AND LOVE

unknown / Sean D. Henry-Smith isosceles, serial / pinterest / unknown / woman and child preserved in mudflow in Tibet 4,000 years ago (via @museum-of-artifacts) / Elena Alexander Night Sky / Margaret Atwood Selected Poems: 1965-1975 / unknown / Michaela Leventis The Bitter Vanilla / Shauna Barbosa GPS

[gramarobin]

[centiguy]

watch out!

[the-football-chick]

[wronghands1]

[yourfavsmokesweed]

GPS from The Nightly Manor

YOUR FAV: GPS FROM THE NIGHTLY MANOR SMOKES WEED IN A DENNY'S PARKING LOT!

[somegirlsmakemenervous]

"He he... Have a little accident before you got here? Lemme guess... she was driving and got lost? Pfft... that seems to happen a lot! You really need a car with GPS. Or maybe GPPS, Guys Pee Proof Seats!"