Gladys West’s invention resulted in the GPS (Global Positioning System). GPS technology is a global navigation system that utilizes a constellation of 31 satellites orbiting the Earth to identify the exact location of GPS receivers. The invention of the GPS stands as one of the most widely used and influential technologies today, yet many people are unaware of the pioneering woman who helped develop its technology – Gladys West. She was a mathematician as well as an inventor who collected and analyzed satellite data to make a detailed model of the Earth’s surface. Her invention resulted in GPS, the innovative global navigational satellite system that allows people to accurately determine their present location anywhere across the world.
Gladys West was a trailblazer in invention and programming. In 1956, she made progress when she became the second Black woman to be hired to work as a programmer at Dahlgren Naval Base Virginia. There, she programmed and coded for the huge computers that were just beginning to come into use at the Navy. Over the years, West went on to do numerous great things with invention and computing; most notably, in the early 60s West participated in an award-winning study which proved the regularity of Pluto’s motion relative to Neptune.
Gladys West is an invention pioneer and a true force of nature. She was responsible for overseeing a team of five people when she became project manager for the Seasat radar altimetry project, which went on to be the first satellite that could monitor oceans from space. From the mid-1970s, using complex algorithms to account for variations, West programmed an IBM 7030 ‘Stretch’ computer to deliver calculations for a geodetic Earth model. This new invention allowed incredibly accurate measurements of the Earth’s shape which ultimately resulted in a breakthrough invention – the Global Positioning System (GPS) orbit. For her invention, she was recently inducted into Space and Missiles Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2018 and remains an inspiration to many.
Gladys West made an invention that revolutionized navigation: a geodetic Earth model for the first satellite-based navigation system. Her breakthrough program was a foundation for the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS) people use today, though she remained a hidden figure in her contribution. In 2018, West was rightfully inducted into the US Air Force Hall of Fame, bringing well-deserved recognition to her remarkable invention. Much like the movie “Hidden Figures”, it sheds light on the many Black women who have made invaluable scientific contributions around the world yet remain hidden from sight.
Gladys West’s invention resulted in the GPS, but her journey to success began at a naval base – a world of its own that sometimes felt isolating. Within the base life felt normal but outside West could feel the struggle of life as an African American woman amidst the powerful civil-rights movement across the country. She was proud she got such an impressive job and worked relentlessly to excel in it, motivated by the feeling of injustice shared across her community. West’s invention made its imprint on history. As a result of West’s invention, people can now find their way around with ease while ensuring that they are not far from the digital connections that bring people together.
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