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The fifth Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite designed and built by Lockheed Martin is now headed to its orbit 20,000 kilometres above Earth.
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The GPS III Space Vehicle 05 (GPS III SV05) — a warfighting system owned and operated by the Space Force — has lifted-off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, in Florida, marking another step for Lockheed Martin in supporting the US Space Force’s GPS satellite constellation modernisation efforts.
The GPS III satellites are designed to provide significant capability advancements over earlier-designed GPS satellites on orbit, including a three-fold accuracy improvement, up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities and a new L1C civil signal, which is compatible with international global navigation satellite systems, like Europe’s Galileo, to improve civilian user connectivity.
Lockheed Martin is part of the GPS III team led by the Space Production Corps Medium Earth Orbit Division at the US Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base.
With GPS III SV05, Lockheed Martin is focused on rapidly fielding innovative capabilities for the Space Force’s Positioning, Navigation and Timing Mission according to Tonya Ladwig, Lockheed Martin vice president for navigation systems.
“With each satellite we bring to orbit, we help the US Space Force to modernize the GPS constellation’s technology and to imagine future capability,” Ladwig said.
“Our next three satellites, GPS III SV06, SV07 and SV08, are already complete and just waiting for a launch date.”
Part of US critical national infrastructure, GPS drives an estimated US$300 billion in annual economic benefits and has contributed US$1.4 trillion since its inception.
GPS III SV05’s onboard liquid apogee engine is expected to continue propelling the satellite towards its operational orbit over the coming days.
After it arrives, engineers will be tasked with sending the satellite commands to deploy its solar arrays and antennas and preparing GPS III SV05 for handover to Space Operations Command.
The GPS III SV05 will reportedly be the 24th Military Code (M-Code) signal-enabled GPS space vehicle on orbit, completing the constellation’s baseline requirement to provide US military forces with a more-secure GPS signal.
[Related: Acts of war in space included in NATO defence clause]
