DENVER, Nov. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The fourth
Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)-built Global Positioning System III
(GPS III) satellite is now headed to orbit under its own
propulsion. Following a successful launch earlier this evening, GPS
III Space Vehicle 04 (GPS III SV04) separated from its rocket and
is now using onboard power to climb to its operational orbit,
approximately 12,550 miles above the Earth.
About 89 minutes after a 6:24 p.m. EST liftoff
from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, U.S. Space Force and Lockheed Martin
engineers at the company's Denver Launch & Checkout Operations
Center declared GPS III SV04 "separated" from its SpaceX
Falcon 9 rocket and "flying" under their control.
In the coming days, GPS III SV04's onboard liquid apogee
engine will continue to propel the satellite towards its
operational orbit. Once it arrives, the engineers will send the
satellite commands to deploy its solar arrays and antennas, and
prepare GPS III SV04 for handover to Space Operations Command.
GPS III SV04 is the latest next-generation GPS
III satellite Lockheed Martin designed and built to help the
U.S. Space Force modernize today's GPS satellite
constellation with new technology and capabilities. GPS III
satellites will provide significant capability improvements over
previous GPS satellites, including:
- Three times better accuracy;
- Up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities; and
- A new L1C civil signal, which is compatible with international
global navigation satellite systems, like Europe's Galileo, to improve civilian user
connectivity.
GPS III SV04 will also be the 23rd Military Code
(M-Code) signal-enabled GPS space vehicle on orbit, continuing the
Space Force's plan to fully field the more-secure, harder-to-jam
and spoof GPS signal for military forces.
"With GPS III we are focused on rapidly fielding the best
capabilities to the Space Force's Positioning, Navigation and
Timing (PNT) Mission," said Tonya
Ladwig, Lockheed Martin's Acting Vice President for
Navigation Systems. "We are proud of our industry-government team
on the launch of GPS III SV04. GPS III SV05 is already 'available
for launch' and just waiting to be called up."
In early July, the Space Force also declared that the GPS III
Follow On (GPS IIIF) program had fulfilled Milestone C, allowing
the program to enter its production phase. GPS IIIF satellites will
add even more capabilities, including:
- A Regional Military Protection Capability, which will increase
anti-jam support in theater to ensure U.S. and allied forces cannot
be denied access to GPS in hostile environments;
- an accuracy-enhancing laser retroreflector array;
- A fully digital navigation payload; and
- A new search and rescue payload.
"So many people rely on GPS every day. Continuing to invest in
GPS by adding new capabilities like those coming with GPS III/IIIF
will ensure GPS remains the world's 'gold standard' for PNT and
just makes sense," Ladwig added.
GPS is part of the U.S.'s critical national infrastructure,
driving an estimated $300 billion in
annual economic benefits and responsible for $1.4 trillion since its inception. Globally, more
than four billion military, civil and commercial users depend on
GPS' positioning, navigation and timing signals.
Lockheed Martin is proud to be a part of the GPS III team led by
the Space Production Corps Medium Earth Orbit Division, at the U.S.
Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base. The GPS
Operational Control Segment sustainment is managed by the
Enterprise Corps, GPS Sustainment Division at Peterson Air Force
Base. The 2nd Space Operations Squadron, 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.
For additional information, visit our
website: www.lockheedmartin.com.
Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest
announcements and news across the corporation.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin