GPS World - May 2008 - (Page 14)

THE SYSTEM ate-breaking events are taking place this month, and some not-yet-broken news may surface after press time but before you receive this issue. At the National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, senior spokesmen from competitors Lockheed Martin and Boeing agreed on April 9 that the long-anticipated award of the GPS III space segment contract for space vehicles and GPS payloads would be anticipated just a little longer. The award announcement had been slated for the week of March 31, and some had speculated that it might be made instead at the symposium. However, both major contractors seemed to think at that time that an announcement would not appear until April 17. Update. On Friday, April 18, the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) said it is ª finalizing actions necessary to complete preparations for Key Decision Point-B and the contract award decision . . . for GPS Block IIIA. º The award will not be announced until sometime in May. The GPS Block III is the next, next planned major upgrade of the Global Positioning System. First, the IIF series of GPS satellites built by Boeing are slotted for launch in the January/February 2009 timeframe. Policy and system news and developments | GPS | Galileo | GLONASS GPS III Contract Award Now a Reality Ð ? L Last IIR-M Heads Capeward. Lockheed Martin finished work on the final modernized Block IIR-M satellite and prepared it for shipment to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, whence it will depart into orbit in June. The modernized series delivers increased signal power, two new military signals, enhanced encryption and anti-jamming capabilities for the military, and a second civil signal to provide users with an open access signal on a different frequency. This final IIR-M bird also contains a demonstration payload built by Lockheed Martin subcontractor ITT that will temporarily transmit a third civil signal, on the L5 frequency (1176.45 MHz). Future generations of GPS spacecraft will include this third civil signal to improve the capabilities of the system, providing safety-of-life functionality for civil aviation, among other applications. Not the Last Word. This really is not the last IIR-M Ð t least not the last to be launched. It was the last to leave the factory, due to the modifications for the L5 payload. The satellite just shipped to the Cape with the L5 payload is SVN49. It has a currently scheduled launch date of June 30. The last IIR-M to be launched will be SVN50 with a current launch date of September 11. of the system' s design and development contract allows us to complete the custom building blocks being developed for the next-generation M-code GPS receivers,º said Michael Crisp, director of Raytheon GPS and navigation systems. The company is developing two different form factors for receiver cards; this will allow modular upgrades of Raytheon' s avionics, weapons, and integrated sensor systems ahead of the full deployment of the GPS III satellite constellation. In December 2007 the Air Force also exercised a $50.7 million contract option with Rockwell Collins to complete part of the next phase of the MUE program. That work consists of receiver-card development for ground and airborne applications. www.gpsworld.com Raytheon Scores MUE Contract Raytheon Co. has won a $61 million U.S. Air Force contract from the GPS Wing to complete the development and certification of next-generation GPS receivers. Under the Modernized User Equipment (MUE) program, circuit-card technology will connect military users with new GPS signals used in forthcoming enhanced GPS satellites. The receivers, which will be able to read the new M-code military signal, also will work effectively with legacy signal systems, Raytheon said. 14 GPS World | May 2008 ª The MUE program is raising the capability of military GPS equipment while lowering the cost for the warfighter,º said Phil Kelton, MUE program manager for Raytheon' s GPS and navigation systems business. ª Raytheon' s approach to MUE takes advantage of breakthroughs in microelectronics technology, coupled with advanced security solutions, to enable higher performance and greater integrity at less cost than today' s systems.º Kelton sees potential to achieve ª true force-enhancing statusº for military GPS capability though the proliferation of low-cost GPS modernized user equipment. Raytheon teamed with General Dynamics and Trimble Navigation Systems for the bid. ª The award of this second phase http://www.gpsworld.com

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GPS World - May 2008 Contents Out in Front Letters to the Editor Expert Advice GPS III Contract Award Now a Reality? Near-Space Location Boost RTK Crops Up in Precision Ag Safety Afoot 50+ Leaders to Watch Making a Difference with GPS Product Showcase Advertisers Index & Company Directory Marketplace Classifieds Seen & Heard

GPS World - May 2008

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