Navigation One of NIST's biggest contributions to aviation was the invention in 1931 of the first visual type radio beacon for an instrument landing system, making it possible to land safely in bad weather. Since then, NIST labs have developed other important measurement standards and calibrations necessary for air travel. Navigation systems worldwide rely on the Global Positioning System. The accuracy of many commercial GPs receivers can be linked to NIST frequency standards through comparison to this archive. NIST's Pressure and Vacuum Group develops and maintains the nation's standards for pressure and offers calibrations for pressure measuring instruments.
Altimeters determine a plane's altitude by measuring atmospheric pressure.
NIST's Radio Frequency Fields Group develops standards and calibrations for antennas used with satellites, spacecraft, and radar systems. While many of the NIST standards and research projects presented above help manufacturers build safe planes, other NIST activities address in-flight safety. The NIST Standard Reference Data Program serves science and industry with world-leading technical data services and products. This page provides links to scientific databases in several specialties. The NIST Chemistry WebBook provides users with easy access to chemical and physical property data for chemical species through the internet.