HH Amir patronizes Informatics Award ceremony, prime inventor of GPS honored

KUWAIT, June 12 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah patronized on Wednesday a ceremony honoring winners of HH Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah's 12th Informatics Award, namely the American prime inventor of the Global Positioning System (GPS), Roger Easton, who was represented by his son at the high-profile ceremony.
HH the Amir's motorcade arrived at the venue of the event, Sheikha Salwa Sabah Al-Ahmad Hall at Marina Hotel, where he was welcomed by dignitaries, namely the chairperson of the award board of trustees, Sheikh Aida Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, and steering committee members. The ceremony was attended by HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Speaker of the National Assembly Ali Fahad Al-Rashed, senior sheikhs, Deputy Chief of the National Guard Sheikh Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Acting Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and senior state officials.
Speaking at the ceremony, Sheikha Aida affirmed that excellence in the realms of science can only be achieved with support of the top leadership, saying in part, "The elements of success and excellence are knowledge and hard work; however, these elements cannot be achieved except through constant nuturing and support" provided by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH "the father," Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, the Chief of the National Guard.
This century, education has become a force in the world of knowledge with ideas and information, where scholars and nations compete. The youth have gained knowledge and have become the generation of new technologies. This requires a new vision to render them the real builders of the community, she said.
The Informatics Award of Sheikh Salem has "captured these heights and outlines through its features of the present and those of the future and it invested youth capacities for enriching its sustainable development project with addition to its future vision." Sheikh Aida expressed gratitude to "the great people of who volunteered in the events of this prize and their work and achievements," and congratulated the winning projects "for this innovation in quality and accomplishment." The son of Roger Easton, the prime inventor of the globally-used GPS, was present at the ceremony on behalf of his father, a prime honoree. In his statement, Easton junior addressed the present top leaders, saying, "I am honored to represent my father in this honorable ceremony. Both he and my mother would have liked to attend in person, but they are no longer able to travel this distance.
While preparing for this speech, I have re-visited my father's accomplishments over the wide technical fields that led him to his leadership in the development of the Timation system, which included all of the essential components of the Global Positioning System. His achievements extended beyond this, however." "He had a prominent role in the design of Vanguard 1, launched on 17 March 1958, and the Minitrack system for tracking and establishing the orbital parameters of orbiting spacecraft. These contributions are undoubtedly the reason for an exhibition next to the "Missile Pit" on the Mall in Washington DC. This work led to my father's leadership in the development of the Naval Space Surveillance System in the early 1960s, which was a radar-based system of three transmitters and six receivers across the southern part of the United States for detecting the passage of orbiting spacecraft, including those that are not emitting radio signals," Easton added.
"My father developed a system that synchronized atomic clock time standards at both the transmitter and receiver by transporting a portable atomic clock between sites," he said. This idea led to the concept of a new generation satellite-based navigation system, called "TIMATION" for Time Navigation. This work is recognized in the new exhibit, the "Time and Navigation" gallery at the National Air and Space Museum. "Father is among a small number of people whose accomplishments are recognized in this museum .." He concluded, saying, "On this occasion, on the occasion of awarding Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Informatics Award to my father, Mr. Roger Easton, I would like to express my appreciation and pride of this global award and to express my gratitude and thanks for the State of Kuwait for recognizing science and scientists."(end) rk KUNA 121408 Jun 13NNNN