Aerospace and Defense

The Sequester and Its GPS Discontents
March 1, 2013

The Sequester and Its GPS Discontents

Deep military spending cuts set to kick in March 1 will likely slow efforts to modernize the GPS constellation, insiders agree, in large part because many of the personnel needed to push the program forward will be sitting at home, unpaid, one day out of every five.

The human impact of the deep cuts taking effect when sequestration kicks in on Friday was already evident in mid-February during the program review conference held by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

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By Inside GNSS
Lockheed Powers Up First GPS III Satellite Module
February 28, 2013

Lockheed Powers Up First GPS III Satellite Module

The core structure of the GPS III Non-Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST) stands in Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Processing Facility. Lockheed Martin photo

Well, the lights work. So far, so good.

The Lockheed Martin team developing the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation GPS III satellites has turned on power to the system module of the program’s first spacecraft, designated GPS III Space Vehicle One (SV-1).

According to the prime contractor, the achievement is a key indication that the team is on track to deliver the first satellite for launch availability next year, although the actual first launch will probably take place in 2015.

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By Inside GNSS
Lockheed Gains New GPS III SV Contract, Reaches Milestone
February 18, 2013

Lockheed Gains New GPS III SV Contract, Reaches Milestone

The U.S. Air Force GPS Directorate at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Califorinia, has awarded Lockheed Martin Space System Company a $62-million firm-fixed-price contract for GPS III Space Vehicles (SVs) 5 and 6 to be completed by June 30, 2017.

Funded under the federal Fiscal Year 2013 budget and announced February 8, construction will take place at the company’s facilities in Newtown, Pennsylvnia.

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By Inside GNSS
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UK/US Deal on GPS Signal Patent Omits Galileo Version
January 31, 2013

UK/US Deal on GPS Signal Patent Omits Galileo Version

A recently announced deal between the United States and the United Kingdom to revoke the UK’s surprise patents on a key GPS technology has a glaring omission: Intentionally left out of the agreement are patents on the European Union’s version of the technology, a signal structure important to enabling Europe’s Galileo system to work seamlessly with America’s GPS constellation.

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By Inside GNSS
More Than Money Worries
January 23, 2013

More Than Money Worries

Navigation users may benefit from GPS modernization sooner than expected thanks to an apparent shift in the schedule of the modernized GPS ground control segment still under development.

The change means that full operational implementation of the new signals will come earlier in the delayed modernization of the operational control Segment (OCS).

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By Dee Ann Divis
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GPS Directorate Has Selected Command Successor
January 13, 2013

GPS Directorate Has Selected Command Successor

Col. William “Bill” Cooley

The U.S. Air Force appears to have identified a future leader of the GPS Directorate.

At a time yet to be determined, Col. William T. "Bill" Cooley will take up the role of Senior Materiel Leader at the Department of Defense (DoD) acquisition office for developing and producing GPS satellites, ground systems, and military user equipment.

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By Inside GNSS
Civil Galileo System Poses New Options for Secure Services
December 18, 2012

Civil Galileo System Poses New Options for Secure Services

Conceptual design of ULTRA (ultra low-cost PRS receiver)

When European leaders first took up the idea of creating their own GNSS system nearly 20 years ago, they held up the concept of civilian control as a crucial differentiator from existing services operated by national military establishments.

As Galileo nears its operational phase, that principle may manifest itself in a surprising form: the opportunity to offer a range of security-oriented positioning and timing solutions in place of the all-or-nothing alternatives on encrypted services maintained by defense agencies.

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By Inside GNSS
Taking Turns at the Fiscal Cliff
November 18, 2012

Taking Turns at the Fiscal Cliff

The GPS program has taken a fiscal hit that will delay critical plans to begin multi-satellite launches and could ultimately hamper the Air Force’s ability to keep the constellation at its current level of service.

The shortfall is just one of the challenges facing the program over the next four months as the current six-month budget extension winds down, the government’s ability to borrow runs out, and, barring a fast political deal, the onerous budget cuts set up under sequestration kick in.

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By Dee Ann Divis
WP-navipedia-500px.jpg
November 14, 2012

Navipedia — The GNSS Wiki

Javier Ventura-Traveset introduces Navipedia at the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit on March 14, 2012. He is responsible for managing Navipedia’s development as well as GNSS education activities for ESA.

Working Papers explore the technical and scientific themes that underpin GNSS programs and applications. This regular column is coordinated by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Günter Hein, head of Europe’s Galileo Operations and Evolution.

In the last 30 years, satellite navigation applications have grown in number and kind, entire new systems have emerged, and existing systems have modernized.

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By Inside GNSS
European Space Solutions: A Different Kind of Galileo Public-Private Initiative
October 31, 2012

European Space Solutions: A Different Kind of Galileo Public-Private Initiative

A combined conference and trade fair, European Space Solutions — scheduled for December 3–5 in Central Hall, Westminster Storey’s Gate, London, England — will bring businesses and the public sectors together with users and developers to explore how space technologies and applications, including satellite navigation, can make a difference in the lives and livelihoods of people across Europe.

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By Inside GNSS
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