GPS World, January 2014
THE SYSTEM GPS III Prototype Proves Constellation Compatibility The GPS III team is led by the Global Positioning Systems Directorate at the U S Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center Lockheed Martin is the GPS III prime contractor with teammates including ITT Exelis General Dynamics Infinity Systems Engineering Honeywell ATK and other subcontractors Good News for Users and Manufacturers The U S Air Force is directing transmission of continuous CNAV message populated L2C and L5 signals starting in April 2014 The move is designed to help development of user equipment compatible with the civil signals Full text of the CNAV memo appears below The Lockheed Martin prototype of the next generation GPS satellite the GPS III has proven that it is backwardly compatible with the existing GPS satellite constellation in orbit During tests concluded on October 17 Lockheed Martins GPS III testbed successfully communicated via crosslinks to Air Force simulators of the current GPS constellation in orbit The current GPS constellation includes GPS IIR GPS IIR M and GPS IIF satellites Testing also demonstrated the ability of an Air Force receiver to track navigation signals transmitted by the GPS III Nonflight Satellite Testbed GNST The GNST is a full sized functional satellite prototype at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station These tests represent the first time when the GNSTs flight like hardware has communicated with flight like hardware from the rest of the GPS constellation and with a navigation receiver explained Paul Miller Lockheed Martins director for GPS III Development This provides early confidence in the GPS IIIs design to bring advanced capabilities to our nation while also being backwardcompatible The first flight ready GPS III satellite is expected to arrive at Cape Canaveral in 2014 for launch by the Air Force in 2015 GPS III satellites will be the first GPS space vehicles with a new L1C civil signal designed to make it interoperable with other international global navigation satellite systems The GNST has helped to identify and resolve development issues prior to integration and test of the first GPS III flight space vehicle SV 01 It has gone through the development test and production process for the GPS III program first significantly reducing risk for the flight vehicles improving production predictability increasing mission assurance and lowering overall program costs www gpsworld com January 2014 GPS World 17
You must have JavaScript enabled to view digital editions.
