ATK has delivered the initial ship set of propellant tanks and initial two A2100 composite satellites to Lockheed Martin for the development of GPS III satellites being built for the US Air Force. Lockheed Martin had entered a contract with ATK in April 2010 which includes the fabrication of two GPS III satellite structures and a satellite test bed structure, which was delivered earlier this year.
The ship set of propellant tanks delivered in August includes two oxidizers, two pressurant tanks and one hydrazine. The satellite structure is made from lightweight composite material of high-strength. The delivery was made at Lockheed Martin's Mississippi Space & Technology Center located at the John C. Stennis Space Center.
The GPS III program manager, Lt Col Don Frew stated that the delivery of the propellant tank and satellite structure is a major achievement and milestone of the GPS III program. An effort of industry members and the US Air Force, the GPS III will meet GPS demands of over one billion users worldwide.
The A2100 satellite core structures and propellant tanks have been developed by ATK for Lockheed Martin since the introduction of the satellite model in 1996. Manufactured at the San Diego facility, the composite structures are produced by ATK with support from the ATK’s Beltsville facility at Maryland. The propellant tanks are produced in Commerce, California facility.
The GPS III satellites will meet the growing demand of GPS users by improving navigation, timing and position services. Anti-jam capabilities superior system security, increased reliability and accuracy will also be provided by the satellite system. Signals delivered will be 3X more accurate than existing GPS systems while military users will be provided 3X more power. The satellite system will also feature an international civil signal designed to make it interoperable with other satellite systems designed for global navigation.
The GPS III satellite will be launched in 2014.
Source: http://www.atk.com