GPS III Space Segment

Abstract

In FY2021, PE 1203265F, GPS III Space Segment efforts were transferred to Appropriation 3620, Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, Space Force, PE 1203265SF GPS III Space Segment from Appropriation 3600, Budget Activity 7 due to the creation of a new Appropriation for Space Force. 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) Sec. 2281, which requires that the Secretary of Defense ensure continued sustainment and operations of GPS for military and civilian purposes, and 51 USC Sec. 50112, which requires that GPS comply with certain standards and facilitate international cooperation. The system is composed of three segments: User Equipment (funded under Program Element (PE) 1203164F), Space (funded under this PE and PE 1203269F) and a Control Network (funded under PE 1203165F and PE 1206423F). The satellites broadcast high-accuracy data using precisely synchronized signals that are received and processed by user equipment installed in military platforms. The user 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 (USNDS) 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 (C3I); Special Operations; Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT); Defense-Wide Mission Support; Air Mobility; and Space Launch Orbital Support. GPS III is the next generation Space Vehicle (SV) supporting the GPS constellation and is funded in PE 1203265F. GPS III SVs will deliver significant enhancements, including a new international civil (L1C) Galileo-compatible signal, and enhanced anti-jam power. GPS III SVs 03-10 are in the Production and Deployment Phase. PE 1203265F funds GPS III and supports the Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) of GPS III SVs 01-02 and risk-reducing simulators through a systems engineering approach that matures and delivers SVs for launch. This PE includes SVs 01-02 engineering studies and analyses, trade studies, system development, test and evaluation efforts, integrated logistics support products, on-orbit support, and mission operations support for civil and military applications that protect United States (U.S.) military and allied use of GPS. The program also includes Contingency Operations (COps) as a bridge capability to fly GPS III SVs until the delivery of the GPS Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX). Starting in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019, PE 1203269F funded the RDT&E of GPS IIIF (SVs 11-12), which included Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) support efforts. GPS IIIF includes design activity, risk-reducing simulators, and systems engineering associated with delivering the new capabilities required of GPS IIIF SVs, including backward compatibility, dual band Telemetry, Tracking, and Control (TT&C), integration of Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) hosted payloads, a new international civil (L1C) Galileo-compatible signal, and the Regional Military Protection (RMP) capability that provides the ability to deliver high-power regional Military Code (M-Code) signals in specific areas of intended effect. Mission Readiness Campaign (MRC) activities include launch preparation, planning, mission readiness testing to validate space-ground-user interfaces, mission crew exercises and rehearsals, launch vehicle integration, and On-Orbit Checkout activities to validate performance prior to and after launch. Newly certified launch vehicles must be incorporated into the GPS III launch baseline. Integration requires the development of plans and procedures and procurement of special support equipment. GPS supports the early deployment of Global M-Code to meet the congressional mandate limiting user equipment purchases to M-Code-capable receivers starting in FY 2017. Funds in this PE will cover the M-Code Early Use (MCEU) program and support development costs associated with the GPS control segment software to provide core M-Code capabilities to the warfighter, as well as the ability to command and control, process, and monitor the M-Code signal. MCEU mitigates delays with OCX, supports Military Global Positioning System User Equipment (MGUE) testing, and allows for early M-Code operations. M-Code provides greater security to protect navigation and timing in electronically contested environments. Impacts of the M-Code deployment include: -Compliance with The Air Force Space Command Commander's mandate to provide global monitoring necessary for early M-Code operational use and verification of Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) effects. -Direction to improve the resiliency of the GPS capability. -Confirmation that Enterprise modernization efforts are integrated and properly deployed. -Testing and Verification of M-Code capability on MGUE/GPS III solution and early M-Code use tied to MGUE fielding. The feasibility studies and preliminary engineering analyses that are funded by this budget item will determine whether an initiative to host GPS M-Code augmentation payloads on other satellite systems is practical and beneficial. The primary goal is to provide additional mission assurance through redundant systems not directly connected with the current U.S. GPS satellite constellation. Space acquisition must respond with speed and agility to emerging adversary threats. Space & Missile Systems Center (SMC) is transforming the organization and implementation of space acquisition to an enterprise approach, maximizing innovation and resiliency, leveraging international, commercial, and mission partnerships, and managing program/project priorities according to an integrated unclassified/classified enterprise space architecture. Expanding the appropriate acquisition authorities and contract mechanisms to deliver capability sooner, SMC will strategically execute experimentation, prototyping, risk reduction, and other efforts to develop new or repurpose capabilities. This PE may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver GPS III Space Segment weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in PEs 1206392F and 1206398F. This PE encompasses the GPS III (SVs 01-10), COps, MCEU, M-Code Hosted Payload, and prior to FY 2019, GPS III Follow-On (GPS IIIF) Production Readiness efforts. This program is in 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, 2021
• Source ID: 1203265F_7_3600_PB_2021
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2019: $2.182M to pay cancelled GPS bill FY 2021: -$10.780M; funds starting in FY 2021 were transferred from RDT&E, Air Force to RDT&E, Space Force.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Cyber
• Engineered Resilient Systems
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Force
• Artificial Satellites
• Command And Control
• Contracts
• Control Systems
• Deployment
• Engineering
• Global Positioning Systems
• Logistics
• Military Applications
• Military Operations
• Navigation
• Satellite Constellations
• Simulators
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation

Readers

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

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Microelectronics
• Space
• Space - Satellites