TITUSVILLE, Fla., July 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The GPS satellite
constellation is about to get its next heathy dose of new
technology and more advanced capabilities. The second
next-generation, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT)-built GPS III satellite
– nick-named "Magellan" by the U.S. Air Force -- is sealed up and
ready for its planned July 25
launch.
On June 26, Lockheed Martin Space
and United Launch Alliance (ULA) technicians completed
encapsulating GPS III Space Vehicle 02 (GPS III SV02) in its launch
fairings at the company's Astrotech Space Operations facility,
where the satellite has undergone pre-launch processing and fueling
since its March 19 arrival in
Florida. This final step enclosed
GPS III SV02 in a protective, aerodynamic, nose-cone shell.
In the coming days, the enclosed GPS III SV02 satellite will be
mounted to a ULA Delta IV rocket for launch. The current window for
launch on July 25 opens at
10:55 a.m. ET.
"GPS III SV02 is launching just a brisk seven months after the
nation's first GPS III satellite lifted off back in December. The
first satellite's performance during on-orbit testing has exceeded
expectations," said Johnathon
Caldwell, Lockheed Martin's vice president for Navigation
Systems. "We are excited to deploy more GPS III satellites so this
new technology and capabilities can be distributed
constellation-wide."
GPS III satellite production and launch cadence is picking up.
On May 27, the Air Force declared the
next GPS III satellite, GPS III SV03, "Available for Launch,"
pending an official launch date.
"More GPS III satellites are coming. If you looked at our
production line back in Denver
today you would see GPS III space vehicles 04, 05 and 06 already
fully-assembled and in various stages of testing. And space
vehicles 07 and 08 are being built up at the component assembly
level now," Caldwell added. "It is a smooth, efficient, methodical
process."
Lockheed Martin is under contract to develop and build up to 32
GPS III/IIIF satellites for the Air Force. GPS III will deliver
three times better accuracy and provide up to eight times improved
anti-jamming capabilities. GPS III's new L1C civil signal will make
it the first GPS satellite to be interoperable with other
international global navigation satellite systems, like
Galileo.
Additional GPS "IIIF" capabilities will begin being added at the
11th satellite. These will include a fully-digital
navigation payload, a Regional Military Protection capability, an
accuracy-enhancing laser retroreflector array, and a Search &
Rescue payload.
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
105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and
services.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin