DENVER, May 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In the future,
when mission needs change for the Global Positioning System (GPS),
the U.S. Air Force will be able to respond -- thanks to some
engineering forethought and the innovative design of Lockheed
Martin's (NYSE: LMT) GPS III satellite.
Designed with evolution in mind, Lockheed Martin's GPS III
satellites for the Air Force's next acquisition will be able to
offer on-orbit re-programmability so they can be upgraded in space
to add new signals or missions, a first for the GPS constellation.
The satellite's modular design will also allow for low risk, easy
insertion of new, future technology into the production line –
guaranteeing GPS III remains the gold standard for positioning,
navigation and timing.
Lockheed Martin will demonstrate the value of its flexible GPS
III design over the next 26 months, as part of the Air Force's GPS
III Space Vehicles 11+ Production Readiness Feasibility Assessment.
On May 5, the Air Force awarded
Lockheed Martin a $5 million contract
for Phase 1 of this procurement for future GPS III satellites.
Lockheed Martin has already made advancements on the Air Force's
future GPS III requirements. In 2013 the company completed a
preliminary design review for two key future requirements: the
accuracy-boosting Laser Retro-reflector Array and a hosted payload
for search and rescue missions.
The current GPS III block design is already the most powerful
GPS satellite ever built, which enables GPS III's eight-times
anti-jamming capability. For future GPS III satellites, the Air
Force is requiring Regional Military Protection, which will allow
them to direct even more capability into specific contested and
challenging environments.
"Lockheed Martin has already made significant progress in the
area of Regional Military Protection and we are confident our GPS
III will be able to bring enhanced capability to the warfighters
wherever and whenever they need it," said Mark Stewart, Lockheed Martin's vice president
for Navigation Systems. "With this and the addition of a
long-planned, fully-digital navigation payload, our GPS III design
will provide the Air Force with maximum flexibility for all their
current and future missions."
For much of Lockheed Martin's progress and advanced risk
reduction already completed, Stewart credits the Air Force's
previous investment, the Back to Basics program and the use of an
innovative satellite prototype known as the GPS III Nonflight
Satellite Testbed (GNST). The company used the GNST to already
prove its GPS III design was compatible with the next generation
ground control system and the existing GPS constellation back in
2013.
"Innovation like the Air Force's GNST helped us retire most
risks when adding these latest capabilities," Stewart says. "Our
design for GPS III builds on our plan to drive costs down with
increased efficiencies."
Lockheed Martin's GPS III production line is in full swing. In
December, the first GPS III satellite completed system-level
Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing, validating Lockheed Martin's design
and manufacturing processes. Seven more GPS III satellites are
following the first one in production flow at Lockheed Martin's GPS
Processing Facility in Denver.
The GPS III team is led by the Global Positioning Systems
Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center.
Air Force Space Command's 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS),
based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, manages and operates the GPS
constellation for both civil and military users.
For additional GPS III information, photos and video visit:
www.lockheedmartin.com/gps
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace
company that employs approximately 125,000 people worldwide and is
principally engaged in the research, design, development,
manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology
systems, products and services. For more information, visit
http://lockheedmartin.com/.
Media Contact:
Chip Eschenfelder, +1 303-977-8375;
chip.eschenfelder@lmco.com
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin