GPS III And OCX Satellite Launch and Early Orbit Operations Successfully Demonstrated
Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have completed the third of five planned launch and early orbit exercises to demonstrate the launch readiness of the world's most powerful and accurate Global Positioning System (GPS), the U.S. Air Force's next generation GPS III satellite and Operational Control System (OCX). Successful completion of Exercise 3, on August 1, was a key milestone demonstrating Raytheon's OCX software meets mission requirements and is on track to support the launch of the first GPS III satellite, currently being produced by Lockheed Martin. Two additional readiness exercises and six 24/7 launch rehearsals are planned prior to launch of the first GPS III satellite in 2015. Using new installments of Raytheon's OCX software and Lockheed Martin's GPS III Launch and Checkout Capability (LCC), the Air Force Global Positioning System Directorate and the industry team completed a launch and early orbit exercise over a three-day period in late July. Exercise 3 demonstrated space-ground communications; first acquisition and transfer orbit sequences; orbit-raising maneuver planning and execution; and basic anomaly detection and resolution capabilities. In addition, the industry and customer teams jointly executed mission planning activities, such as orbit determination and the generation of upload command files.
