Lockheed Gains New GPS III SV Contract, Reaches Milestone - Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design

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.


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.

On February 6, Lockheed Martin announced that it had completed a key flight software milestone validating the software’s ability to provide reliable and effective command and control for the GPS III satellites.

The software has been integrated and tested on the program’s satellite prototype, known as the GPS III Non-Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST) and will next be integrated and tested on the first GPS III satellite, which is on schedule for launch availability in 2014, although actual launch is now not expected until 2015.

“Completion of this flight software milestone demonstrates our continued positive program momentum and is another step forward in reducing risk up front to facilitate long term affordability,” said Lt. Col. William “Todd” Caldwell, the U.S. Air Force’s GPS III program manager.

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