GPS III Space Segment

Abstract

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space based navigation system that fills validated Joint Service requirements for worldwide, accurate, common grid three dimensional positioning/navigation for military aircraft, ships, and ground personnel. The consistent accuracy, unaffected by location or weather and available in real time, significantly improves effectiveness of reconnaissance, weapons delivery, mine countermeasures and rapid deployment for all services. GPS must comply with Title 10 United States Code (USC) 2281 which requires that the Secretary of Defense ensures that continued sustainment and operations of GPS for military and civilian purposes and 51 USC sec 50112 which requires that GPS complies with certain standards and facilitates international cooperation. The system is composed of three segments: user equipment (funded under PE 0305164F), space (funded under this PE and PE 0305165F) and a control network (funded under PE 0305165F and PE 0603423F). The satellites broadcast high accuracy data using precisely synchronized signals which are received and processed by user equipment installed in military platforms. This equipment computes the platform position and velocity and provides steering vectors to target locations or navigation waypoints. The control segment provides daily updates to the navigation messages broadcast from the satellites to maintain system precision in three dimensions to 16 meters spherical error probable worldwide. Additionally, GPS supports the United States Nuclear Detonation (NUDET) Detection System (NDS) mission and provides strategic and tactical support to the following Department of Defense (DoD) missions: Joint Operations by providing capabilities for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT); Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence; Special Operations; Military Operations in Urban Terrain; Defense-Wide Mission Support; Air Mobility; and Space Launch Orbital Support. GPS III is the next generation Space Vehicle (SV) to join the GPS constellation. GPS III SVs will deliver significant enhancements, including a new civil (L1C) Galileo- compatible signal, and enhanced anti-jam power. SV11 will add two additional secondary payloads, Search and Rescue/GPS (SAR/GPS) and Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA). The SAR/GPS payload provided by Canada will fill a validated National Search and Rescue Committee requirement to provide enduring, space-based distress alerting capability to detect, locate, and relay distress alerts to fulfill its responsibilities under international agreements for Search and Rescue. SAR integration costs are funded by the Coast Guard. LRA, built by the Naval Research Lab (NRL) is a passive reflector that will improve accuracy and provide better ephemeris data. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) funds the integration costs of LRA. RDT&E, AF PE 0305265F funds GPS III and will support research, development, test and evaluation of GPS III SV01-02, and risk-reducing simulators through a structured systems engineering approach that matures and delivers space vehicles for launch. Space Modernization Initiatives (SMI) focuses on space vehicle affordability and capability, addresses future requirements and resilience needs, and expands the industrial base to enhance future competition. For example, this includes the initial systems design work for incorporating space vehicle technology improvements on items such as second source atomic clocks, smart solar cells that provide 30% more efficiency, alternate transmitter assembly that provides increased power efficiency at a reduced recurring cost, lithium ion batteries which address battery obsolescence issues and offer substantial weight savings, and a dual space-ground link system (SGLS)/Unified S-Band (USB) communication channel to be compliant with the USB interface. RDT&E funds will also be used for GPS III SV09+ risk reduction towards obsolescence and affordability initiatives. GPS III SVs 03-08 are in the Production and Deployment Phase. The Air Force is seeking authorization to exercise the option for SV09-10 under the current contract as technical equivalents of GPS III SV01-08. The Air Force is also assessing the business case for the future use of a multi-year procurement (MYP) strategy for GPS III. Additionally the program includes engineering studies and analyses, trade studies, system development, test and evaluation efforts, integrated logistics support products, on-orbit support, and mission operations supporting civil and military applications that protect U.S. military and allies' use of GPS. This program is a Budget Activity 7 - Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2015
• Source ID: 0305265F_7_3600_PB_2015
• Change Summary Explanation: FY13: -$27.090M sequestration reduction FY14: -$20.000M Congressional reduction for ahead of need. FY15: -$2.653M inflation adjustment
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Engineered Resilient Systems
• Human Systems
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Force
• Artificial Satellites
• Coast Guard
• Command And Control
• Deployment
• Engineering
• Global Positioning Systems
• Military Operations
• Military Personnel
• Navigation
• Satellite Buses
• Satellite Constellations
• Search And Rescue
• Spacecraft
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Technology.

Technology Areas

• Directed Energy
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Space