Tag: U.S. Air Force

U.S. Air Force says goodbye to 25-year-old GPS satellite

At 25 years old, GPS Satellite Vehicle No. 27 completed its time in orbit on April 18. With the satellite’s final duty completed, the 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2 SOPS) said goodbye via final command and disposal from Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado.

SVN 27 was launched in 1992, meaning it performed more than triple its design life of 7.5 years.

“The most interesting thing about this process for me was the ability to do some experimentation and advance training prior to the disposal,” said 1st Lt. Cameron Smith, 2 SOPS bus subsystem analyst. “Experimentation started in mid-March, which consisted of advance training opportunities and vehicle component validation. This was very exciting and new to a lot of people in 2 SOPS.”

Smith explained underperforming satellites, such as SVN 27, are removed from the GPS constellation to make room for satellites with increased capability.

Since GPS satellites do not carry the amount of fuel required for de-orbit maneuvers, they are instead pushed to a higher orbit, roughly 1,000 kilometers above the operational GPS orbit.

During the final contact with the vehicle, the satellite is commanded into the safest, lowest energy state possible. This means all fuel has been depleted from the fuel tanks, the batteries are unable to hold a charge, and the vehicle is in a spin-stabilized configuration.

Bus component degradations and navigational issues, among other reasons, usually kill a satellite. Fortunately for SVN 27, there were no major flaws throughout its life span.

“SVN 27 was disposed of because its navigation payload could no longer perform up to the GPS standards,” said 1st Lt. Shannon Sewell, 2 SOPS subsystem analysis chief. “In 1993, a year after it launched, it had a suspect component we never tested out until we disposed of it. The decoder wasn’t fully powered. Since it was a backup, we made a decision to leave it in the same configuration. However, this did not cause any major effects during its life span.”

In the last two years, the unit conducted six disposal operations. For Sewell, even though she has witnessed final commands given during past disposal operations, this marked the first time she sent the kill command.

“It’s a rite of passage to send out the last command to vehicles,” said Sewell. “This was my sixth and final disposal in the shop before I move on, but the first kill command I sent. It was a great way to end my tenure here and was a unique opportunity.”

So far, there have been 28 disposal operations in 2 SOPS history, which support the Air Force’s GPS modernization efforts.

April 24, 2017
SpaceX wins second US Air Force contract to launch GPS III

A SpaceX Falcon 9 stands ready for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The Air Force awarded a second contract for GPS III Launch Services to SpaceX.

SpaceX has won a second contract from the U.S. Air Force for launch services to deliver a GPS III satellite to its intended orbit.

SpaceX was awarded the $96,500,490 firm-fixed-price contract over the United Launch Alliance. ULA — a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security — did not compete for the first GPS III launch contract. That contract, worth $82.7 million, is expected to orbit a GPS satellite aboard a Falcon 9 rocket in May 2018.

According to the contract announcement, SpaceX will provide launch vehicle production, mission integration, launch operations, spaceflight worthiness and mission unique activities for a GPS III mission. The contract is being overseen by the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), Los Angeles Air Force Base, California.

Work will be performed at Hawthorne, California; Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida; and McGregor, Texas. It is expected to be complete by April 30, 2019.

“The competitive award of the GPS III Launch Services contract to SpaceX directly supports SMC’s mission of delivering resilient and affordable space capabilities to our nation,” said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, leader of SMC.

March 15, 2017
Lockheed responds to report on Air Force review of GPS III propulsion

Lockheed Martin responded to a report by Bloomberg last week that the U.S. Air Force has opened a review of the propulsion systems used for Lockheed Martin’s GPS III and other military satellites, following a problem during an attempt to boost one into orbit.

A Lockheed spokesperson said the first GPS III satellite passed all of its qualification testing and verification.

“On Feb. 27, the Air Force declared GPS III Space Vehicle 01 (SV01) ready for storage following the completion of all space vehicle Factory Functional Qualification Testing (FFQT) and successful verification of more than 30,000 pre-storage technical requirements,” responded Chip Eschenfelder, communications lead for Lockheed’s Military Space division.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the Air Force and Lockheed Martin are thoroughly evaluating the A2100 GPS III Propulsion Subsystem, prior to declaring the satellite Available for Launch (AFL),” Eschenfelder said. “This review is a standard process for our rigorous systems engineering approach to assure mission success.”

The plan remains to launch the first GPS III satellite by spring of 2018.

“Lockheed Martin is working closely with the Air Force on resolving any concerns about the mission readiness of SV01’s Propulsion Subsystem,” Eschenfelder said. “We are confident that this review will not delay the Air Force’s planned spring 2018 Initial Launch Capability (ILC).”

Today, more than 50 Lockheed Martin A2100 bus satellites are operating successfully on orbit.

March 6, 2017
GPS III satellite propulsion under US Air Force review

The U.S. Air Force has opened a review of the propulsion systems used for Lockheed Martin’s GPS III and other military satellites after a problem during an attempt to boost one into orbit, according to the service, Bloomberg reports.

The review has delayed the Air Force’s acceptance of Lockheed’s first GPS III satellite, which is 34 months late. The most recent delivery goal had been Feb. 28, and the plan remains to launch it by spring of 2018.

While there’s no evidence that the propulsion system on the first GPS III satellite has a flaw, the Air Force has decided to keep it in storage at a Lockheed facility out of an abundance of caution, Captain AnnMarie Annicelli, an Air Force spokeswoman, told Bloomberg. It was placed into storage after having successfully completed all planned test and integration activities.

March 3, 2017
Boeing, US Air Force extend partnership to sustain GPS IIA, IIF

Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have signed a GPS sustainment agreement to ensure the health of current satellites on orbit. The agreement enables persistent GPS capability for civilians and the military as Boeing works on next-generation GPS satellites.

Artist’s impression of a GPS Block II/IIA satellite in orbit. (Credit: U.S. government)

Under the agreement, Boeing will support GPS IIA and IIF satellites on orbit for the next five years. Boeing, which has been the prime GPS contractor for more than 40 years, is now part of the Air Force effort that may lead to the next generation of GPS satellites.

“This agreement continues Boeing’s strong legacy of GPS innovation and mission support,” said Dan Hart, vice president, Government Satellite Systems. “We are focused on delivering reliable, affordable and resilient GPS capability now and for generations to come.”

Collectively, Boeing GPS satellites have accrued more than 550 years of on-orbit operation. In March 2016, the company delivered its 50th GPS satellite on orbit to the Air Force and has built more than two-thirds of the GPS satellites that have entered service since 1978.

February 6, 2017
USAF to test increased GPS signal power Jan. 25

Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 25, Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) will conduct a limited-duration test implementing an increase of the Ll C/A power level on the GPS Block IIR-M and llF satellites — a total of 19 satellites.

The C/A power will remain within IS-GPS-200-H specifications, and the power increase is not expected to increase the noise floor by more than 0.3 signal-to-noise ratio in the worst case.

“We assess that there will be no adverse impacts to civil, commercial or military GPS users, but anyone who experiences issues during this test should address them through established reporting channels,” said Gen. John W. Raymond, U. S. Air Force (USAF) commander, in a “Memorandum for Distribution.”

Military users can contact the GPS Operations Center at DSN 560-2541, while civilian users can contact the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center at 703-313-5900. In the event of unexpected critical impacts, a process to cease testing operations has been put in place.

The AFSPC point of contact for this test is Maj. Jeffrey Koch, DSN 692-0233, commercial 719-554-0233.

January 24, 2017
US Air Force approves Lockheed’s ground control upgrade for GPS III

The U.S. Air Force approved Lockheed Martin’s design to upgrade the current GPS satellite ground control system with new capabilities that will enable it to operate more powerful and accurate GPS III satellites.

The successful Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Contingency Operations (COps) contract, completed on Nov. 17, gives Lockheed Martin a green light to proceed with software development and systems engineering to modify the existing GPS ground control system, called the Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) Operational Control Segment.

SV 01 in testing at Lockheed Martin’s Denver facility. (Photo: LMCO)

The AEP is currently maintained by Lockheed Martin and controls the 31 GPS IIR, IIR-M and IIF satellites in orbit today.

The COps modifications will allow the AEP to support the more powerful, next generation GPS Block III satellites, enabling them to perform their positioning, navigation and timing mission, once they are launched. COps is envisioned as a temporary gap filler prior to the entire GPS constellation’s transition to operations onto the next generation Operational Control System (OCX) Block 1, currently in development.

“The GPS constellation is a valuable asset to our warfighters, our nation and the world. This risk-reduction effort ensures the Air Force has the ability to maintain the constellation at full strength,” said Mark Stewart, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Navigation Systems mission area. “We are here to support the Air Force and the GPS III program any way we can.”

The Air Force awarded the $96 million COps services and supplies contract to Lockheed Martin on February 3. The government approved the company’s proposed ground system modification during a Preliminary Design Review on May 11.

On Oct. 15, under a separate contract, Lockheed Martin completed the Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Upgrade #2 (CUP2) project — part of a multi-year plan to refresh the AEP’s technology and enhance the system’s ability to protect data and infrastructure from internal and external cyber threats, as well as improve its overall sustainability and operability. CUP2 is now fully operational and managing the current GPS constellation.

Lockheed Martin has a long history of supporting ground systems, providing operations, sustainment and logistics support for nearly 60 Department of Defense satellites, including GPS, often allowing them to double their on-orbit operational design life.

Lockheed Martin also is under contract to develop and build the Air Force’s first ten GPS III satellites, which will deliver three times better accuracy, provide up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities and extend spacecraft life to 15 years, 25 percent longer than the newest GPS satellites on-orbit today.

GPS III’s new L1C civil signal also will make it the first GPS satellite to be interoperable with other international global navigation satellite systems.

December 15, 2016
GPS World remembers defense columnist Don Jewell

Don Jewell passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 12. For more than nine years, Don wrote the Defense PNT monthly e-newsletter column for GPS World, after a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as Deputy Chief Scientist for Air Force Space Command with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. A celebration of his life was held Oct. 20 in Colorado Springs.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Don earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Kentucky and a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. He served in the U.S. Air Force as an aviator, navigator and space subject matter expert, and completed two Command assignments at Schriever Air Force Base.

His involvement with GPS began in 1978, either as a test system evaluator or user. As Politico-Military Affairs Officer in the Reagan White House, he worked with foreign embassies making critical export control decisions concerning sophisticated military hardware and software.

After the Air Force, Don worked seven years as senior space executive at Motorola and General Dynamics and as senior VP at Infofusion.

He worked at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) as a member of several advisory committees to the Department of Defense and U.S. government: the GPS Independent Review Team (IRT), Space Programs Assessment Group for SMC, Independent Assessment Team for WAAS and as Co-Chair of Military Critical Technologies Program for Space.

A close friend said, “Don was a real pillar for the PNT community and consummate spokesman for the truth, always offering constructive criticism where needed. An exemplary personality who always ‘did the right thing.’”

Another colleague remembered, “Don was a key player in all tasks undertaken in response to the Commander Space Command. One of his many significant roles was as key IRT debriefer of warriors returning to the U.S. through Ft. Carson following operational deployments, to get candid inputs on what shortfalls in PNT they had using GPS to execute their missions, so that Don could make sure DoD leadership didn’t get complacent in management and operation of GPS.

“His use of PNT as a vehicle for constant improvement was driven by Don selflessly serving our national security, helping our soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and others operating in harm’s way to serve our country well in his passionate and very candid role with his ‘constructive criticism’ counsel to Air Force and DoD leadership to assure the troops’ mission success, returning home safely often after intense combat. A tragic loss to our Nation, as he did this for many years.”

Don began writing the Defense PNT e-newsletter for GPS World in April 2007. His first column is lost in the mists of time, but here is an excerpt from his second column, May 2007:

“To think that all these billion-dollar companies, and the start-ups as well, depended to such a great degree on a ubiquitous utility that only became available on a global basis because of a seemingly insignificant, but in the end, deadly navigation error. Add to this the naked aggression and paranoia of the former Soviet Union and the benevolence and caring of a legendary U.S. President, and you have the beginnings of a tale that has changed our world forever, and whose final chapter may never be written.”

Don was active in the Military Division of the Institute of Navigation (ION). From 2010–2015, he helped assemble and co-chaired the Warfighter Crosstalk Panel in the Joint Navigation Conference (JNC); this was and remains today one of the most interesting and informative sessions of that conference, focusing on needs of military and first responder users for PNT.

Don regularly led weekly bible study meetings for more than 20 years and was recently appointed as president of Christ the King Lutheran Church.

Readers’ and friends’ appreciations appear at gpsworld.com/donjewell. Send further remembrances to [email protected]. Contributions in Don’s memory may be made to Christ the King Lutheran Church or the Amyloidosis Foundation.

December 13, 2016
Lockheed completes COTS upgrade of ground control system

Lockheed Martin has completed a major upgrade to modernize the current ground control system of the U.S. Air Force’s GPS constellation.

The Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Upgrade #2 (CUP2) project is the latest step in the Air Force’s multi-year plan to refresh technology and transform the legacy Operational Control Segment — known as the Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP) — into a modern, high-performance command and control system.

On Oct. 15, CUP2 became fully operational and began managing the 31 GPS IIR, IIR-M and IIF satellites that make up today’s GPS constellation.

Capt. Adam Moody, 2SOPS GPS Operations Support flight commander, and Staff Sgt. Carl Ellinger, 2 SOPS GPS mission chief, review a checklist of procedures for a transfer operation at Schriever Air Force Base. (U.S. Air Force photo/Dennis Rogers)

The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the CUP2 project in November 2013 under its GPS Control Segment (GCS) contract, and the system is now fully deployed into the AEP’s GPS Master Control Station and the Alternate Master Control Station.

This is the third major technology refresh of the GPS command and control system since the GCS contract began in January 2013.

This upgrade to the existing ground control system provides the Air Force with flexibility. In May, as part of Contingency Operations (COps) under the GPS III contract, Lockheed Martin demonstrated a preliminary design to build off CUP2 and further upgrade the AEP to support next-generation GPS III satellites as they perform their positioning, navigation and timing mission. COps is a temporary gap filler prior to the entire GPS constellation’s transition onto the next-generation Operational Control System (OCX) Block 1, which is currently in development.

“Under CUP2, Lockheed Martin and the Air Force installed modern commercial hardware and a major software upgrade that enhances the system’s ability to protect data and infrastructure from cyber threats, as well as improves its overall sustainability and operability,” said Vinny Sica, vice president and general manager of Mission Solutions for Lockheed Martin. “Continued modernization and cyber-hardening of the GPS control system is vitally important to the sustainment of navigation services for our military and all global GPS users.”

The GPS Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center contracted the CUP2 upgrade. Air Force Space Command’s 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS), based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, manages and operates the GPS constellation for both civil and military users.

December 1, 2016
Raytheon, US Air Force complete GPS OCX test milestone

Raytheon has reached another milestone in its development of the U.S. Air Force’s Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System, known as GPS OCX. This new system offers significant improvements to the GPS on which the U.S. military and millions of civilians rely, including enhanced availability, accuracy and security.

OCX’s development is delivered in “blocks,” with Block 0 comprising the Launch and Checkout System to take GPS III satellites into early orbit. Block 1 is built on Block 0 and delivers the full OCX capability, which allows the Air Force to transition from its current GPS ground controls to the modernized and secure GPS OCX master control station.

Testing demonstrates end-to-end functional checkout, integration of Block 1 capabilities.(Image: Raytheon)

Raytheon recently completed a series of Risk Reduction functional checkouts of OCX Block 1 capabilities, with a focus on OCX software. This latest development activity integrated iteration 1.5 of the OCX Block 1 Master Control Station with the GPS System Simulator and ran operational scenarios, representing the first end-to-end integration of available Block 1 capabilities. The testing included GPS constellation management and sustainment, demonstrating OCX’s abilities for precision navigation and timing capabilities in a fully cyber-hardened environment.

The test included running Kalman filters and generating GPS satellite navigation uploads. The completion of the Risk Reduction functional checkout informs and benefits future OCX development efforts. Future development will add to the existing capability and expand capability to include both the civil and military modernized signals.

The U.S. Air Force-led GPS Modernization Program will yield new positioning, navigation and timing capabilities for both the U.S. military and civilian users across the globe. GPS OCX is being developed by Raytheon under contract to the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, which is replacing the current GPS operational control system.

GPS OCX provides a number of significant modernized capabilities for GPS users, including robust cybersecurity and deployment of jam-resistant, operational military code, or M-code. The OCX Launch and Checkout System provides an early delivery of much of the overall block 1 OCX capability, and will support the GPS III satellite launches.

October 13, 2016
Public meeting set for Navstar GPS documents
The U.S. Air Force is holding a 2016 Public Interface Control Working Group and Open Forum for the Navstar GPS public documents Sept. 21-22 in El Segundo, California.

The meeting is intended to update the public on GPS public document revisions and collect issues and comments for analysis and possible integration into future Navstar revisions.

The forum will be held for the following documents:
- IS-GPS-200 (Navigation User Interfaces).
- IS-GPS-705 (User Segment L5 Interfaces).
- IS-GPS-800 (User Segment L1C Interface).
- ICD-GPS-240 (Navstar GPS Control Segment to User Support Community Interfaces).
- ICD-GPS-870 (Navstar GPS Control Segment to User Support Community Interfaces).
The 2016 Interface Control Working Group and Open Forum is open to the general public. The meeting will be held in the Great Room at 100 N. Sepulveda Blvd., El Segundo, California, 90245.

Those planning to attend should register by Sept. 7. To register, send the registration information to [email protected], providing your name, organization, telephone number, email address and country of citizenship.

More information can be found on GPS.gov’s site. The Federal Register Notice is also available, with full details.
August 29, 2016
US Air Force releases GPS III-3 launch services RFP

The Air Force has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for launch services for the GPS III-3 mission, scheduled to launch in 2019. Proposals are due Sept. 19; the contract will be a standalone contract for a single GPS III launch.

The United Launch Alliance (ULA) and SpaceX are expected to compete for the contract. In April, SpaceX was chosen to launch the GPS III-2 satellite in May 2018. ULA chose not to compete.

The RFP seeks an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Launch Service. The draft RFP was released on June 14 to obtain industry feedback to inform the Final RFP. After extensive industry engagements, the Final RFP was released on Aug. 3 with proposals due back to the Air Force no later than Sept. 19 in accordance with the solicitation instructions.

After evaluating proposals through a competitive, best-value source selection process, the Air Force will award a firm-fixed price contract that will provide the government with a total launch solution including launch vehicle production, mission integration and launch operations for the GPS III-3 satellite.

Artist’s concept of the nextgen GPS III satellite (courtesy of the USAF).

The Air Force’s acquisition strategy for this solicitation achieves a balance between mission success/operational needs, and lowering launch costs, through reintroducing competition for national security space missions, the Air Force said in a press release.

“Launch system certification is a key element (high technical bar) within this solicitation to provide insight into the technical capabilities and rigorous processes that demonstrate a launch vehicle contractor’s ability to design, develop, manufacture, and launch national security space missions and contributes to the overall flight worthiness process,” said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Space and Missile Systems Center commander and Air Force program executive officer for Space. Prior to contract award, the contracting officer will verify that the Offeror has a certified launch system as part of a responsibility determination resulting in a high technical bar.

“Through this competitive solicitation for GPS III launch services, we hope to continue fostering competition in order to promote innovation and reduce cost to the taxpayer while maintaining our laser focus on mission success,” Greaves said.

GPS III is expected to provide improved anti-jamming capabilities as well as improved accuracy for precision, navigation, and timing. It will incorporate the common L1C signal which is compatible with the European Space Agency’s Galileo global navigation satellite system and compliment current services with the addition of new civil and military signals.

The first GPS III satellite undergoes system-level thermal vacuum testing. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

This is the second competitive launch service solicitation under the current Phase 1A procurement strategy. The Phase 1A procurement strategy reintroduces competition for national security space launch services. Under the previous Phase 1 strategy, ULA was the only certified launch provider. In 2013, ULA was awarded a sole-source contract for launch services as part of an Air Force “Block Buy” of 36 rocket cores that resulted in significant savings for the government through FY 2017.

In May 2015, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) was certified for EELV launches resulting in two launch service providers that are qualified to design, produce, qualify and deliver a launch capability and provide the mission assurance support required to deliver national security space satellites to orbit.

August 4, 2016