GPS III satellite undergoes preliminary review
The Lockheed Martin Corp. team building the next-generation global positioning system spacecraft known as GPS III has achieved a number of initial milestones in the preliminary design review phase with the Air Force, reports Military and Aerospace Electronics.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems along with industry partners ITT Corp. and General Dynamics Corp. have completed 19 out of 71 preliminary design reviews for key GPS III spacecraft subsystems and assemblies.
Among them are L-Band transmitters, antennas, solar arrays, power regulation unit, all attitude control assemblies, and the tracking telemetry and command subsystem and all TT&C assemblies. This effort will culminate in an overall GPS III segment preliminary design review in May to ensure the preliminary design meets warfighter and civil requirements before advancing into the critical design review phase.
The team is working under a $1.4 billion development and production contract awarded in May 2008 by the Global Positioning Systems Wing, Space, and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., to produce the first two GPS IIIA satellites.