Institute of Navigation
Encyclopedia
The Institute of Navigation (ION) is a non-profit professional organization for the advancement of the art and science of navigation
. It was founded in 1945 and serves communities interested in navigation and positioning on land, air, sea and space. It is a worldwide organization with members in over 50 countries.
As of 2008, the ION has approxmiately 3,000 members. The ION is headquartered in Manassas, Virginia
.
On June 25, 1945, the Institute of Navigation was founded at an organizational meeting held at UCLA. The Institute's first permanent council was elected at the first annual meeting in October 1945. Colin H. McIntosh, of American Airlines, was elected as the Institute's first president. The Institute's journal, Navigation, was first published in March 1946.
The ION National Office was located on the campus of UCLA until 1960, when it moved to Washington, DC. In 1992, the headquarters were relocated to Northern Virginia
.
The ION sponsors a variety of programs intended to promote the art and science of navigation. In an effort to reach out to the next generation of engineers, ION sponsors the ION Robotic Lawn Mower Competition, the ION Mini-Urban Challenge, a scholarship program, and student paper competitions.
The ION also sponsors government fellows that serve a one-year term in a Congressional office or an Executive Branch department.
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
. It was founded in 1945 and serves communities interested in navigation and positioning on land, air, sea and space. It is a worldwide organization with members in over 50 countries.
As of 2008, the ION has approxmiately 3,000 members. The ION is headquartered in Manassas, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
.
History
During World War II, the field of navigation experienced "dramatic developments [during] a period of fast-moving changes... People recognized the need for an organization to provide a forum for discussion [of the] various aspects of navigation." Dr. Samuel Herrick, assistant professor of astronomy at UCLA, proposed an institute for navigation. Dr. Herrick envisioned a research center and publication of a journal.On June 25, 1945, the Institute of Navigation was founded at an organizational meeting held at UCLA. The Institute's first permanent council was elected at the first annual meeting in October 1945. Colin H. McIntosh, of American Airlines, was elected as the Institute's first president. The Institute's journal, Navigation, was first published in March 1946.
The ION National Office was located on the campus of UCLA until 1960, when it moved to Washington, DC. In 1992, the headquarters were relocated to Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
.
Conferences
The Institute sponsors several technical conferences each year. These conferences focus on current developments in navigation technology and policy.- International Technical Meeting, January.
- IEEE/ION PLANS (Position, Location and Navigation Systems) Conference, Spring.
- Joint Navigation Conference, Spring.
- ION GNSS, September. ION GNSS is attended by approximately 1,800 GPS and GNSS specialists from over 40 countries.
Programs
The Institute of Navigation publishes a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal, Navigation.The ION sponsors a variety of programs intended to promote the art and science of navigation. In an effort to reach out to the next generation of engineers, ION sponsors the ION Robotic Lawn Mower Competition, the ION Mini-Urban Challenge, a scholarship program, and student paper competitions.
The ION also sponsors government fellows that serve a one-year term in a Congressional office or an Executive Branch department.