Human Engineering: The Astounding Ascent of Karen Van Dyke – Inside GNSS

June 18, 2025

Written by Editor

Image: Shutterstock

Blog editor’s note: We were going to profile our friend and colleague Karen in honor of her retirement from federal service. But Peter Gutierrez did a much better job in this Inside GNSS piece than we ever could. Well done, Peter, and exceptionally well done and congratulations, Karen!

 

InsideGNSS-logo

Human Engineering: The Astounding Ascent of Karen Van Dyke

A look back at a remarkable career as Van Dyke retires from federal service. Karen Van Dyke’s remarkable trajectory as a GNSS engineer took her from helping design tools that notify pilots of GPS outages to spearheading America’s national strategy on the future of positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).

Her personal rise reflects the equally impressive evolution of GPS, from a brilliant but obscure military system to a pillar of modern infrastructure.

When Inside GNSS profiled Van Dyke in 2007, she was already an influential voice in the satellite navigation universe, even as she joked about being “geographically challenged.”

READ MORE

 

What Can YOU Do? How Can YOU Help?

PNT is the quiet backbone of everything but too many leaders still don’t see the risk.

But you do. You understand the systems, the dependencies, the failure chains. That insight is rare — and it’s exactly what your country needs right now. Contact your government leaders and industry decision-makers and tell them resilient PNT isn’t a feature — it’s the foundation everything else depends on.

Start the Conversation

Use our Resilient PNT Key Talking Points to make the case.

U.S. Advocates

Find your representatives at Congress.gov, then use our email template to reach them in minutes.

When you get a response, let us know. Every conversation strengthens the mission.

More PNT News

Russia is jamming GPS from space – SpaceNews

Russia is jamming GPS from space – SpaceNews

Image: Copilot AI What's new: Another report about Todd Humphreys' efforts, though this one has a bit more of the backstory about how this was discovered. Why it's important: We hope this helps raise awareness about threats and risks. What else to know: Regrettably,...

Inside GNSS, Inside LEO: LEO PNT – Why Now?

Inside GNSS, Inside LEO: LEO PNT – Why Now?

Image: Shutterstock What's new: A new recurring feature at Inside GNSS. Why it's important: LEO PNT has enormous potential to provide similar services as MEO PNT but with greater performance and greater resilience. What else to know: Xona, Trustpoint, (both RNT...

Why the FCC Must Reject Ligado’s Latest Plan – Broadband Breakfast

Why the FCC Must Reject Ligado’s Latest Plan – Broadband Breakfast

Image: RNT Foundation What's new: It has been six years since the FCC ruled in favor of Ligado. Now Ligado wants to change almost everything about the bargain it struck with the commission. Why it's important: Use of some of the frequencies Ligado was granted could...

New Company for Broadcast Positioning System – NAB

New Company for Broadcast Positioning System – NAB

Image: Shutterstock What's new: The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has formed a separate company to develop, advocate for, and deploy the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS). Why it's important: NAB has put increasing effort behind BPS since its inception...

Get PNT News in Your Inbox