Can a gps satellite know your location?

Question

Can a gps satellite know your location?

Answer 1

The Global Positioning System Satellites do not know your location and do not have the infrastructure to find out your location.

The GPS Satellite is like a radio beacon that know its' own position. The satellite sends out its' position information on radio waves for anybody to receive them.

Your GPS Device only receives the radio signals from the GPS Satellites. Once your receiver has the positional information of 3 or more GPS Satellites it is able to calculate its' own position from that information.

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Answer 2

As the one answer says, the GPS satellites don't know your position.  They have no idea you're even there or receiving the signals.  Your GPS device decodes the signals from the satellites and computes it's location based on that information.  It can't relay any information back to the satellite.  

You could look at it this way.  There's two or three landmarks in your town.  You can see them from anywhere in town.  If you want to know where you are you can look at them and tell yourself, OK, I'm here in relation to those landmarks.  You now know where you are but the landmarks don't even know you're there.  A GPS system is the electronic version of that but it can work world-wide.

Answer 3

Sure, but it doesn't know who, and cant do anything with the information.

Answer 4

Yes,

The way it works is the satellite receives a signal from the GPS unit and sends back an image of your location on the GPS screen.

Answer 5

What? lol thats what they do.... that is their ONLY function.... to know where you are...