On Nov. 2, Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Satellite 01 (GPS III SV01) and Raytheon Corp.’s Operational Control System (OCX) successfully completed Factory Mission Readiness Testing, which simulated full launch and early orbit mission event sequence.
GPS III will have improved accuracy, anti-jamming capability, and longer spacecraft life (15 years). It will also be the first GPS satellite to operate with other nations’ global navigation satellite systems, such as Galileo). OCX will control all signals, prevent cyber threats, and lower operation and maintenance costs.
The GPS III and OCX teams are led by the Global Positioning Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Civil and military constellation will be managed and operated by the Air Force Space Command's 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS) at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.
The GPS III SV01 launch will probably occur in 2018.
For more GPS III information, visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/gps. For more OCX information visit: www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/gps_ocx/.
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