ITT Exelis has achieved a key milestone in its U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System III (GPS III) program. It has completed the integration and the initial power up of the GPS III Non-Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST) Navigation Payload Element (NPE). The element is a payload prototype of the actual size.
The Global Positioning Systems Directorate of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center is leading the GPS III team. Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, ITT Exelis, Honeywell, Infinity Systems Engineering and other companies are partners in the development program. The U.S. Air Force has designated Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor for the GPS III program.
The milestone signifies the progress of the development towards delivery of the GPS III component. The power-up demonstrates that the telemetry, the RF interfaces and the digital communications are working in the proper manner.
The Schriever Air Force Base-based 2nd Space Operations Squadron of the Air Force Space Command is managing and operating the GPS constellation for the military and civil users.
The program manager of the GPS III program, Lt Col Don Frew, stated that the government-industry GPS III team was making good progress and that the navigation payload power-up milestone demonstrated that the team was on target in its endeavor to deliver the first space vehicle in 2014. These next generation GPS III satellites possess better system security, reliability, accuracy, navigation and timing services for civil and military purposes.
Source: https://www.l3harris.com/en-in/india?regional_redirect=en-in