Avionics
Collins Celebrates 40th Anniversary of GPS Milestone
Forty years ago today, Rockwell Collins engineer David Van Dusseldorp successfully received and decoded a GPS signal for the first time ever.

Forty years ago today, Rockwell Collins engineer David Van Dusseldorp successfully received and decoded a GPS signal for the first time ever. He sat on the rooftop of a company building in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, adjusting an antenna every five minutes to receive the signal from the world’s first GPS satellite, known as NTS-2. To commemorate this anniversary, Rockwell Collins is hosting retirees involved in the project to share their firsthand stories at an event today in Cedar Rapids.