Space Force may launch GPS demonstration satellites to test new tech

The Area Pressure is exploring choices for increasing the capabilities of its GPS satellites and is asking corporations to suggest concepts for delivering low-cost demonstration spacecraft to assist check new applied sciences.

Area Methods Command, the service’s main acquisition group, stated in a Feb. 5 discover it’s conducting market analysis to refine its idea for a constellation of GPS demonstration satellites.

“The federal government is learning methods to cut back lifecycle price and improve the tempo of GPS satellite tv for pc improvement, manufacturing and on-orbit deployment,” Area Methods Command stated. “The federal government is growing a imaginative and prescient for tranches of demonstration prototype satellites of more and more complicated capabilities.”

As a result of the service remains to be within the exploration section, the discover doesn’t provide particulars on how quickly the primary satellites would launch. It emphasizes that the Area Pressure is thinking about programs with a 3 to 5 yr lifespan that may very well be accessible for launch inside six months of a contract award.

The Area Pressure has round 31 operational GPS satellites in orbit, a mixture of fashionable and older spacecraft offering various ranges of functionality. The latest satellites, dubbed GPS III, are constructed by Lockheed Martin and supply 3 times higher accuracy and much-improved anti-jamming talents than earlier variants. Additionally they provide a functionality known as M-code, which presents a safe and correct sign for navy customers.

Lockheed can be growing the subsequent iteration of house automobiles, GPS IIIF, which can construct on the accuracy and anti-jam protections of the GPS III satellites. Slated to start launching in 2027, they can even characteristic upgraded nuclear detection detonation system and search and rescue payloads.

Whereas at this time’s satellites present key navy and civilian capabilities, the Area Pressure has been contemplating the way it can increase them with different programs, together with smaller satellites which might be cheaper, simpler to provide and capable of function in degraded areas the place GPS isn’t accessible at this time. A constellation of demonstration satellites may assist the service validate and shortly area new augmentation capabilities or inform improve plans for future GPS satellites.

“The intent of this general effort is to discover alternatives for non-traditional and/or conventional house distributors to quickly manufacture, combine, and make accessible for launch, navigation payloads which might be interoperable with current and future GPS Person Gear whereas minimizing change to present and future GPS floor management segments,” the service stated.

The service has different efforts to showcase new satellite tv for pc navigation know-how. Later this yr it should launch Navigation Know-how Satellite tv for pc-3, an experimental spacecraft developed by L3Harris and the Air Pressure Analysis Laboratory.

As soon as launched, NTS-3 will conduct greater than 100 experiments testing totally different know-how, together with a digital sign generator that may be reprogrammed in orbit to broadcast new indicators.

The Area Pressure’s Business Area Workplace can be working with its innovation arm, SpaceWERX, to establish different navigation capabilities. Col. Richard Kniseley, senior materiel chief for the workplace, instructed C4ISRNET the aim of that effort is to supply seed funding for non-traditional corporations to mature capabilities.