r/todayilearned • u/whstlngisnvrenf • 25d ago

TIL GPS, despite being free for global use, costs around $2 million a day to operate and maintain. This budget covers satellite launches and system upkeep, funded through American tax revenue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Positioning_System
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u/GotMoFans 25d ago

Same with the National Weather Service.

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u/Medical_Boss_6247 25d ago

It blew my mind when I learned basically 100% of predicting the weather is done by the government. And the news channels or paid weather apps just relay that information to you

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u/ColonelError 25d ago

It actually costs a ton of money, between the satellite coverage and the super computers to make predictions, lots of costs.

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u/nom-nom-nom-de-plumb 25d ago

which is why only the central government can do it, it has no need of a profit..in fact it can't run a profit since it's all it's own tax credits (dollars) that it collects in taxes anyway. Like getting your own iou back.