GPS World, September 2013

THE SYSTEM System Briefs No but we rely on GLONASS Partial Make Good Russia will launch two GLONASS satellites later this year to make up for the loss of three satellites in the July 2 Proton rocket explosion The first is scheduled for the beginning of September and the second at the end of October Both will rise aboard Soyuz carrier rockets which have proven more reliable than the Protons A constellation of 29 GLONASS satellites is now in orbit with 24 spacecraft in operation three spares one in maintenance and one in test flight phase Meanwhile plans to reduce GLONASS funding have alarmed at least some deputies of the Duma the Russian state legislative body Government officials have floated a plan to reduce funding of the space program in 2014 by 117 billion rubles 355 million by 135 billion rubles in 2015 and by 40 billion rubles in 2016 The federal space program of Russia for 2006 2015 already lacks 105 billion rubles funding and this year there has been a 23 billionruble additional reduction in R D A Duma committee chairperson warned that this trend will lead to the loss of confidence of the international community in the GLONASS system and consequently to a reduction in its use globally Russia will lose a strategic global instrument of political and economic prestige The Duma has recommended that the government maintain funding of federal space programs Galileo Satellites Trial By Noise The first Galileo Full Operational Capability FOC satellite successfully completed acoustic testing in July part of a full scale test campaign at ESAs ESTEC Test Centre in Noordwijk the Netherlands The satellite was placed in the Large European Acoustic Facility LEAF effectively the largest sound system in Europe A quartet of noise horns embedded in a wall of the 11 x 9 x 164 meter test chamber generated an acoustic noise level of 1407 decibels about the same noise as standing 25 meters from a jet taking off and intended to simulate the extreme environment experienced by a satellite atop a rocket about to fire itself off the launch pad A second FOC satellite arrived at ESTEC on 9 August from manufacturer OHB in Bremen Germany It will undergo a similar acoustic testing and then a System Compatibility Test Campaign will linking it with the Galileo Control Centres in Germany and Italy and ground user receivers as if it were already in orbit A total of 14 FOC satellites are being produced and then tested at ESTEC as an integral part of their path to orbit A second work order of eight satellites has been given to OHB market factors not government 2805 191 Dont know dont care 2467 168 No and our industry company definitely needs government help 1424 97 Yes and government is actively seeking to restore or 1307 89 Yes but government provides lip service only 1997 136 IS GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO PRIVATE INDUSTRY in a time of drastic budget cuts No such efforts are not necessary 308 21 No but someone really should 1498 102 Dont know dont care 2085 142 Yes and I my organization am is actively involved in these efforts 2159 147 Yes but someone else other organizations is are doing this 3930 270 IS INDUSTRY ACTIVELY MAKING ITS CONCERNS KNOWN to government For more results from the 2013 GNSS STATE OF THE INDUSTRY SURVEY see the special insert between pages 34 and 35 of this issue GPS III Pathfinder On July 19 Lockheed Martin delivered a full sized functional prototype of the next generation GPS satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to test facilities and pre launch processes in advance of the arrival of the first GPS III flight satellite The GPS III Non Flight Satellite Testbed GNST paves the way for the first flight GPS III satellite expected to arrive at the Cape in 2014 ready for launch by in 2015 An innovative investment by the Air Force under the original GPS III development contract 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 Following the Air Forces rigorous back to basics acquisition approach the GNST 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 Lockheed Martin is currently under contract for production of the first four GPS III satellites SV 01 04 and has received advanced procurement funding for longlead components for the fifth sixth seventh and eighth satellites SV 05 08 www gpsworld com September 2013 GPS World 27