CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.,
Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The
nation's third next-generation GPS III satellite – and the
first delivered by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) to the new U.S. Space
Force -- has arrived in Florida
for an expected April launch.
On Feb. 5, the third Lockheed
Martin-built GPS III space vehicle (GPS III SV03) was shipped to
Cape Canaveral from the company's
GPS III Processing Facility near Denver aboard a massive Air Force C-17
aircraft traveling from Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. In keeping with its tradition of
nicknaming satellites after famous explorers, the GPS III team
nicknamed GPS III SV03 "Columbus" after the Italian explorer
Christopher Columbus.
GPS III SV03 is the latest of up to 32 next-generation GPS
III/GPS III Follow-On (GPS IIIF) satellites Lockheed Martin has
designed and is building to help the Space Force modernize today's
GPS constellation with new technology and capabilities.
"Every day, more than four billion civil, commercial and
military users rely on the Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT)
services provided by 31 GPS satellites launched since 1997," said
Tonya Ladwig, Lockheed Martin's
Program Manager for GPS III. "We are excited to help the Space
Force refresh the constellation to ensure U.S. and allied forces
always have the best technology and that the U.S. Global
Positioning System remains the gold standard for PNT."
GPS III is the most powerful and resilient GPS satellite ever
put on orbit. Developed with an entirely new design for U.S. and
allied forces, GPS III has three times greater accuracy and up to
eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities over any previous
GPS satellites in the constellation. GPS III is also the first GPS
satellite to broadcast the new L1C civil signal, which is shared by
other international global navigation satellite systems, like
Galileo, to improve future connectivity worldwide for commercial
and civilian users.
GPS III was intentionally designed to evolve with new technology
and changing mission needs. The satellite's evolutionary modular
design will allow new "GPS IIIF" capabilities to start 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.
Meanwhile, GPS III satellites are beginning to join the
constellation. On Jan. 13, 2020, the
first Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellite, GPS III SV01
("Vespucci"), was set "healthy and active" by the 2nd
Space Operations Squadron (2 SOPS) at Schriever Air Force Base, in
Colorado. 2 SOPS is now
using the GPS III Contingency Operations (COps)-upgraded OCS
ground control system to operate both the new GPS III and
previously launched GPS satellites.
GPS III SV02 ("Magellan"), launched on Aug. 22, 2019, has completed its on-orbit testing
and is currently awaiting its turn for integration into the
constellation. GPS III SV03 has now been shipped to the Cape and on
Jan. 21, 2020, the Space Force called
up GPS III SV04 for a launch later this summer. GPS III SV05-09 are
now in various stages of assembly and test at Lockheed Martin's
commercial-like large satellite production line for GPS III
satellites near Denver.
The company is expected to soon complete its critical design
review with the Space Force to begin production on the first two
GPS IIIF satellites under contract.
"It's an exciting time across the GPS mission as we bring
together the best of our space, ground, and operations systems to
help the United States Space Force modernize this critical national
capability," commented Johnathon
Caldwell, Lockheed Martin's vice president for Navigation
Systems.
Lockheed Martin is proud to be a part of the U.S. Space Force's
GPS III team. The GPS III team is led by the Production Corps,
Medium Earth Orbit Division, at the Space Force's Space and Missile
Systems Center, at Los Angeles Air
Force Base. 2 SOPS, at Schriever Air Force Base, 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
110,000 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