GPS III satellite to provide Air Force with situational awareness
NewsOctober 24, 2019
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. The Global Positioning System (GPS) enterprise reached another milestone when the GPS III Contingency Operations Program (COps) connected with the first GPS III satellite on orbit. The COps system will allow the U.S. Air Force to operationally command and control the GPS III satellites as well as legacy GPS satellites currently in the constellation.
In recent months, the program completed final ground control system software testing and verification. This was followed by delivery to sustainment and final system test completion in June 2019. After final system test, the Air Force approved installation of COps to command and control legacy operations.
In October 2019, the COps program received approval from Air Force Space Command’s Operations and Communications Directorate (A3/6) to enter a trial period. The trial period includes testing COps command and control with the GPS III satellite, allowing the program office to conduct developmental testing needed to verify functionality of the satellite.
The GPS III COps program is managed by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Production Corps, Command and Control Systems Division.
