So many comments on here asserting that leap seconds are bad and should be abandoned and that it would be simpler if they didn’t exist, but…
You realize this is about the GPS system, right? The thing about GPS satellites is that they are in space, orbiting around the earth. If the earth’s rotation speed changes their orbital speed doesn’t (not immediately, anyway).
GPS absolutely needs to adjust for the variable rotational speed of the earth - otherwise the GPS coordinate grid would gradually move relative to the surface of the earth.
So GPS doesn’t exactly need leap seconds but it really does care about how long a rotation of the earth takes which… amounts to the same thing.
You realize this is about the GPS system, right? The thing about GPS satellites is that they are in space, orbiting around the earth. If the earth’s rotation speed changes their orbital speed doesn’t (not immediately, anyway).
GPS absolutely needs to adjust for the variable rotational speed of the earth - otherwise the GPS coordinate grid would gradually move relative to the surface of the earth.
So GPS doesn’t exactly need leap seconds but it really does care about how long a rotation of the earth takes which… amounts to the same thing.