Cigar Society of Chicago
presents

R I C H A R D   E A S T O N
GPS: The History, Threats, and Future Outlook of the Global Positioning System, with Richard Easton


GPS’s contribution to the U.S. and global economy has exploded over the past few years. When Richard Easton's book, GPS Declassified: From Smart Bombs to Smartphones, was published in 2013, it was estimated that GPS would add 100 billion per year to the U.S. economy. A 2019 study raised it to a billion dollars a day. GPS is a government program which more than pays for its total cost every year. Yet its origins are poorly understood. Mr. Easton will describe how GPS arose out of the Vietnam war era, where precision bombs were needed, to later become the first global utility. GPS was used extensively in the first Gulf War and now is ubiquitous in smartphones. But its very success means that it is a tempting target. Its interruption by either natural causes, such as a solar storm, or by being attacked by rival countries, would significantly damage our economy and military. Mr. Easton will discuss the history of GPS and the current challenge to build backups or alternative systems.



For the past fifteen years, Richard Easton has been writing and speaking about the history of GPS. His book GPS Declassified: From Smart Bombs to Smartphones has been used as a textbook by the Air Power School and was selected by the Air Force's National Security Space Institute for its 2016 Space Professionals Reading List. Mr. Easton has an ScB from Brown University and an MLA from the University of Chicago. He works as an actuary in Winnetka.
 
Richard's father Roger Easton designed Vanguard 1, the oldest satellite still in orbit, and is widely recognized as the inventor of GPS. Thus, Richard has a unique perspective about its history. His father tinkered with Vanguard 1 on their dining room table. Richard has spoken to The Explorers Club, Air Force Space Command and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. In 2017, C-Span aired this talk, The History of the Global Positioning System. Also in 2017, Mr. Easton has appeared on The Space Show (with David Livingston and John Batchelor) to talk about the 60th anniversary of Vanguard 1. He has also appeared in many podcasts.
 

Richard Easton (red coat) with Vanguard 1 and friends.

FREE and ONLINE
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
5:30-7:00 pm CDT

Sign in 5:00-5:30 pm for informal cigar and cocktail chatter.
The event will be called to order at 5:30.
There will be a Q&A session following the lecture. Audience participation is invited.
The event will conclude at 7 pm.
An optional cocktail party and discussion will continue after the event.
Be sure to have your cocktails and cigars at ready hand.

Register for this event.

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About the Cigar Society of Chicago

ONE OF THE OLDEST AND greatest traditions of the city clubs of Chicago is the discussion of intellectual, social, legal, artistic, historical, scientific, musical, theatrical, and philosophical issues in the company of educated, bright, and appropriately provocative individuals, all under the beneficent influence of substantial amounts of tobacco and spirits.  The Cigar Society of Chicago embraces this tradition and extends it with its Informal Smokers, University Series lectures, and Cigar Society Dinners, in which cigars, and from time to time pipes and cigarettes, appear as an important component of our version of the classical symposium.  To be included in the Cigar Society's mailing list, write to the secretary at curtis.tuckey@logicophilosophicus.org