GPS World

Tag: Space Force

  • GPS, inertial technology support defense missions

    GPS, inertial technology support defense missions

    2 SOPS never stops

    There’s no question that GPS is an essential service. The Second Space Operations Squadron (2 SOPS) is continuing to provide a global utility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “No matter what, we need to ensure this mission continues so the American people and the world know they can depend on us to be the gold standard in precision navigation and timing,” said Lt. Col Stephen Toth, 2 SOPS commander. Services that use GPS include ambulances, hospitals, police departments and fire departments.

    “It would make a global pandemic that much worse if we were to go down,” Toth said. “It could prevent a lot of the day-to-day things we rely on from happening, it could be catastrophic.”

    GPS supports 14 of 16 essential industries in the United States. “We’ll remain reliable no matter what the condition the world is in,” Toth said. “Whether it be a pandemic, hurricane, tornado or any other type of crisis, we have plans and training for whatever threat we may face so the mission doesn’t stop.”

    Unlike other jobs across the Department of Defense, those directly conducting operations can’t telework. They need to be in a sensitive compartmented information facility or restricted area in a secured area to access specific terminals and networks.

    “The American people can count on space and they can count on our military to continue to provide the level of capability that’s expected no matter what’s going on in the world,” Toth said. “In times of crisis, people shouldn’t have to question whether we’ll be here or not, because we will and the mission won’t stop.”

    Welcome to the Space Force

    The official Space Force emblem was unveiled on Jan. 24. (Logo: United States Space Force)
    The official Space Force emblem was unveiled on Jan. 24.

    Organized as a military service branch within the U.S. Department of the Air Force, the newly created Space Force has taken the reins of the GPS program.

    Established on Dec. 20, 2019, under the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, the Space Force will be set up over the following 18 months. Commander of U.S. Space Command, Gen. John “Jay” Raymond, was sworn in Jan. 14 as the first chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force, and is stationed at the Pentagon.

    The same staff who have operated satellites and conducted space activities in the Air Force are continuing under the Space Force. Under the Space Force are the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base and the GPS Master Control Station, operated by the 50th Space Wing’s 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2 SOPS) at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. The 50th Space Wing is under Space Operations Command, located at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

    25 years. The U.S. Space Force celebrated the 25th Anniversary of GPS reaching Full Operational Capability (FOC) on April 27, 2019. Over the past 25 years, GPS has become an integral technology that affects the lives of billions of people across the world.

    Check out more case studies where GPS and inertial technology are supporting defense missions.

    Featured image: U.S. Space Force / Kathryn Calvert; Capt. Jeff Wagner discusses a routine health check on a GPS satellite. 2 SOPS performs the command and control mission for the constellation.

  • U.S. Space Force accepts control of GPS III SV02 amidst global pandemic

    U.S. Space Force accepts control of GPS III SV02 amidst global pandemic

    The second GPS III satellite, nicknamed Magellan, has been designated healthy and usable.

    According to a Notice of Advisory to Navstar Users (NANU) issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, the satellite has been designated usable as of April 1, 1945 ZULU.

    The 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2 SOPS) accepted control of the Magellan on March 27 at the Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado.

    Designated Satellite Vehicle Number 75 (SVN75) in the GPS constellation, Magellan is the second GPS III satellite to be accepted into the program, and the first to be accepted during a global pandemic.

    The second GPS III satellite is encapsulated before launch. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
    The second GPS III satellite is encapsulated before launch. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

    “We’re continuing to make major strides even while working through this pandemic, and we continue to expand our capability to further the program along,” said Lt. Col Stephen Toth, 2 SOPS commander. “This is a huge, momentous occasion for us, that we’re reaching this milestone, that our programs are being delivered, that they’re being executed and the systems are performing as expected. Ultimately, we’re all very excited that we’ve accomplished this major milestone in the program’s history, and we’re very excited for the next things to come.”

    The new generation of GPS III vehicles have a 15-year design life and signals that are three times more accurate than the current generation.

    “[This means users will have] better accuracy anywhere in the world, with a user’s device being able to determine their location more reliably,” said Capt. Ryan Thompson, 2nd SOPS assistant director of operations.

    Additionally, the new satellites have eight times improved anti-jam capability, allowing the military warfighter to operate better in contested, degraded and operationally limited environments.

    The vehicles are designed to be forward and backward compatible, which allows them to adapt to the future while remaining fully adaptable to the previous generation of vehicles.

    Eight more GPS III satellites are scheduled to launch from now until 2025.

    Despite any challenges that may arise, 2nd SOPS remains focused on the mission and continues to make history in space.

    “As we’ve moved forward into the Space Force, we’ve taken a bigger mindset approach toward being warfighters,” Toth said. “What COVID has actually brought out of us is the full understanding of what it is to operate with a warfighter mindset. We may not be at war with an enemy per say, but we are definitely at war with the virus. My job is to ensure we continue to provide position, navigation and timing to the world. And we take that very seriously, so despite the virus, we’ll ensure that our mission continues.”