ULA Delta IV : GPS III SV02 : SLC-37B : August 22, 2019 (13:06 UTC)

[beidou]

Discussion Thread for GPS III-2 mission.  For overall discussion of the GPS III program please use the GPS III Program - General Thread

NET April 2019 on Delta IV from SLC-37 at CCAFS.



[GPS World] Lockheed Martin Powers on Second GPS III Satellite in Production

The Lockheed Martin team developing the U.S. Air Force’s next generation Global Positioning System (GPS) recently turned on power to the bus and network communications equipment payload of the program’s second satellite designated GPS III Space Vehicle 2 (SV-02).

The successful powering on of GPS III SV-02, on December 19, 2013, at Lockheed Martin’s Denver-area GPS III Processing Facility (GPF), is a major production milestone which demonstrates the satellite’s mechanical integration, validates its interfaces, and leads the way for electrical and integrated hardware-software testing.

[jacqmans]

News Release Issued: Jun 26, 2017 (9:07am EDT)

GPS III in Full Production: Second Lockheed Martin Satellite Assembled, Ready to Begin Environmental Testing

Navigation Payload Delivered for Third Satellite in Most Powerful GPS Constellation Ever

DENVER, June 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In a specialized cleanroom designed to streamline satellite production, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is in full production building GPS III – the world's most powerful GPS satellites. The company's second GPS III satellite is now assembled and preparing for environmental testing, and the third satellite is close behind, having just received its navigation payload.

In May, the U.S. Air Force's second GPS III satellite was fully assembled and entered into Space Vehicle (SV) single line flow when Lockheed Martin technicians successfully integrated its system module, propulsion core and antenna deck. GPS III SV02 smoothly came together through a series of carefully-orchestrated manufacturing maneuvers utilizing a 10-ton crane.

GPS III SV02 is part of the Air Force's next generation of GPS satellites, which have three times better accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities. Spacecraft life will extend to 15 years, 25 percent longer than the newest GPS satellites on-orbit today.

"Now fully-integrated, GPS III SV02 will begin environmental testing this summer to ensure the satellite is ready for the rigors of space," said Mark Stewart, vice president of Navigation Systems for Lockheed Martin. "This testing simulates harsh launch and space environments the satellite will endure, and further reduces any risk prior to it being available for launch in 2018."

A Factory Full of GPS III Satellites

Right behind GPS III SV02, eight more contracted GPS III satellites are moving through production flow at Lockheed Martin's nearly 40,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art GPS III Processing Facility near Denver.

GPS III SV03 recently completed initial power on of its bus, which contains the electronics that operate the satellite. The company received SV03's navigation payload from its supplier, Harris Corporation, in May. After further system testing, SV03 will be ready for full integration later this fall.

GPS III SV04's major electronics are being populated as it prepares for its own initial power on. This satellite's navigation payload is expected to arrive and be integrated into its space vehicle before the end of the year.

Components of the next six satellites, GPS III SV05-10, are arriving at Lockheed Martin daily from more than 250 suppliers in 29 states. To date, more than 70 percent of parts and materials for SV05-08 have been received. The company was put under production contract for SV09-10 in late 2016.

All of these satellites are now following the Air Force's first GPS III satellite, GPS III SV01, through a proven assembly, integration and test flow. SV01 completed its final Factory Functional Qualification Testing and was placed into storage in February 2017 ahead of its expected 2018 launch.

Investing in the Future of GPS III

With multiple satellites now in production, Lockheed Martin engineers are building GPS III smarter and faster. Key to their success is the company's GPS III Processing Facility, a cleanroom manufacturing center designed in a virtual-reality environment to maximize production efficiency. Lockheed Martin invested $128 million in the new center, which opened in 2011.

The company's unique satellite design includes a flexible, modular architecture that allows for the easy insertion of new technology as it becomes available in the future or if the Air Force's mission needs change. Satellites based off this design also will already be compatible with both the Air Force's next generation Operational Control System (OCX) and the existing GPS constellation.

"From day one, GPS III has been a team effort and our successes would not have been possible without a strong Air Force partnership. GPS III will ensure the U.S. maintains the gold standard for positioning, navigation and timing," said Stewart. "We look forward to bringing GPS III's new capabilities to our warfighters and beginning to launch these satellites in 2018."

The GPS III team is led by the Global Positioning Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Air Force Space Command's 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS), based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, manages and operates the GPS constellation for both civil and military users.

For additional GPS III information, photos and video visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/gps.

[Newton_V]

I would change the thread title to: Spring 2019

[gongora]

I would change the thread title to: Spring 2019

Would you also change the SpaceX launches to be after that?

[Newton_V]

I would change the thread title to: Spring 2019

Would you also change the SpaceX launches to be after that?

I don't know, but it's quite possible (likely?) GPS will launch on F9 before Delta IV.

[vaporcobra]

SV02 completed thermal vacuum testing in December 2017 and is "expected to be declared 'Available for Launch' this summer."

[jacqmans]

News Release Issued: Aug 21, 2018 (9:07am EDT)


U.S. Air Force Declares Second Lockheed Martin GPS III Satellite "Available for Launch"

GPS III Space Vehicle 02 (GPS III SV02) is complete, tested and expected to launch in 2019

DENVER, Aug. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- As the first Lockheed Martin-built (NYSE: LMT) GPS III satellite prepares to ship to the launch pad, the U.S. Air Force has declared that the second GPS III satellite is complete, fully tested and ready to launch.

The Air Force's "Available for Launch" declaration is the final acceptance of Lockheed Martin's second GPS III Space Vehicle (GPS III SV02) – declaring it technically sound and ready to launch. GPS III SV02 will bring new capabilities to U.S. and allied military forces, and a new civil signal that will improve future connectivity worldwide for commercial and civilian users.

GPS III SV02 now awaits official call up for launch in Lockheed Martin's GPS III Processing Facility clean room in Denver. In June, the Air Force officially called up its first GPS III satellite for launch.

"The first GPS III satellite, GPS III SV01, was declared 'Available for Launch' in September 2017. It is now being prepared for shipment to Cape Canaveral, Florida for a launch before the end of the year," said Johnathon Caldwell, Lockheed Martin's program manager for Navigation Systems. "With two GPS III satellites now ready for launch, and the third GPS III expected to be ready by early next year, we're building strong momentum. These satellites will soon begin modernizing the current GPS constellation with new capabilities and more advanced technology."

GPS III will be the most powerful GPS satellite ever on orbit. GPS III will have three times better accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities. GPS III's new L1C civil signal also will make it the first GPS satellite to be interoperable with other international global navigation satellite systems.

Lockheed Martin is now in full production on ten GPS III satellites at its GPS III Processing Facility near Denver.

In June, GPS III SV03 completed Thermal Vacuum testing, strenuous environmental trials simulating operations in the harshest space environments. In May, the antenna deck was added to GPS III SV04, fully integrating it into a complete satellite ready to begin environmental testing.

Right behind GPS III SV04 on the production line, the fifth, sixth and seventh GPS III satellites are in component build-up. The fifth satellite already has its navigation payload and is expected to be fully assembled later this summer. To date, more than 90 percent of parts and materials for all 10 satellites under contract have been received.

In April, the company submitted a proposal to the government to build up to 22 additional GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) satellites which would bring even further enhanced capabilities to the GPS constellation's more than four billion users.

[gongora]

Cross-posts; Telstar 18 Vantage (APStar 5C) launch delayed 24 hours:

Tweet from Jeff Foust:

Shotwell confirmed after the panel that the Falcon 9/Telstar 18 Vantage launch slipped a day to Sunday night (EDT), didn’t specify a reason.

And:

Now targeting September 9 launch of Telstar 18 VANTAGE from Pad 40 in Florida. Rocket and payload are healthy; additional time will be used to complete pre-flight checkouts.

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1037843911870316545

***

From SFN launch schedule, September 6 update:
Delta IV-Heavy/NROL-71 delayed from September 26 to December 3.

Delta IV-Medium/WGS-10 launches on January 23, 2019.

Falcon 9/Dragon CRS-17 delayed from NET February 1 to February 17, 2019.

Minotaur I/NROL-111 delayed from December 2018 to 2nd quarter 2019.

Delta IV-Medium/GPS III-2 launches on April 4, 2019.

Falcon 9/GPS III-3 delayed from August 2019 to October 2019.

[zubenelgenubi]

This is the last Delta IV-Medium launch.

More particularly, it's the Delta IV-M variety with a 4-meter diameter upper stage and 2 solid rocket boosters.

[zubenelgenubi]

Will the same be true for the DCSS on this launch?

Is the 2nd stage de-orbit a requirement from the USAF, or is it a choice by SpaceX?  (Or something else?)

It's a requirement.

[Newton_V]

Will the same be true for the DCSS on this launch?

Is the 2nd stage de-orbit a requirement from the USAF, or is it a choice by SpaceX?  (Or something else?)

It's a requirement.

Yes, there is a de-orbit burn for this mission.

[vapour_nudge]

According to SFN this launch will now take place in the summer of 2019 to allow more time for the checkout of the first GPS 3 satellite

[Norm38]

Ah, this is where GPS III -2 is. I was confused because SpaceX has 1, 3 and 4.

[zubenelgenubi]

Launch month update: July 2019
Source: SFN Launch Schedule, updated Jan. 16

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post from the WGS-10 launch thread:

From the post with Starliner adapter unloading pictures (https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=43958.msg1875342#msg1875342), it looks like the first stage for WGS-10 was also being delivered on the Mariner.

<snip>
***

I wonder if the DCSS was also aboard?

According to launch updates at https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/delta-iv-wgs-10 , dated Jan. 26, 2019

The common booster core first stage and the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage arrived in July, 2018 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station from our factory in Decatur, Alabama, sailing to Florida aboard the Mariner cargo vessel.

Delivery was earlier than first appeared!

By process of elimination, this November 2018 delivery could be the CBC of this last Delta-IV Medium!  If not both the CBC and DCSS.

[zubenelgenubi]

http://www.launchphotography.com/Delta_4_Atlas_5_Falcon_9_Launch_Viewing.html

And the final launch of a Delta 4 medium version rocket will loft the second next-generation GPS III series satellite on July 25.

EDIT 3/16 UTC: This is it--one more Delta Medium launch to go.

[gongora]

GPS III Space Vehicle 02 “Magellan” arrives in Florida; Prepares for July launch

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. --
The U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center’s Global Positioning Systems Directorate achieved another major program milestone March 19, successfully delivering the second GPS III Space Vehicle to Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida to begin satellite launch processing.

 “The shipment of this second GPS III satellite is once again an excellent representation of the collaborative effort and increasing efficiencies of SMC’s push towards rapid acquisitions and operations of space technologies,” said Lt Gen John F. Thompson, SMC commander and Air Force program executive officer for Space. “We are adding this second GPS III satellite just seven months from the launch of the inaugural Block III space vehicle, continuing our objective of modernizing GPS.”           

The satellite, dubbed “Magellan” in honor of Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, was transported in a custom container from the Lockheed Martin factory facility in Waterton, Colorado to the Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida, by a C-17 Globemaster III originating from Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, West Virginia, 167th Air Lift Wing. The transportation crew consisted of both contractor and government personnel who oversaw the entire operation to ensure that the conditions of the transport environment would not damage any of the satellite’s sensitive components.

The delivery of SV02 starts the clock for final testing and checkout of the spacecraft prior to launch. Like SV01, this satellite will be processed at the Astrotech Space Operations Florida facility. A government and contractor team will ensure the full functionality of the satellite by performing various tests. Processing this time around will gain efficiencies from lessons learned on SV01. As the spacecraft nears launch, the team will prepare for propellant loading and will encapsulate the satellite into its protective fairing supplied by the launch provider. At the completion of these activities, the satellite will be integrated with the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Delta IV launch vehicle. It is significant to note that GPS III SV02 will be the final payload to catch a ride on the Delta IV (4, 2) configuration of ULA’s Launch Vehicle.

 “As we prepare to launch this second GPS III satellite, we acknowledge a major transition of the GPS III program into a production program.” said Col. Steve Whitney, director of the GPS Directorate. “Having successfully launched our ‘Satellite of Firsts,’ Vespucci, last December; we now look forward to a more regular pace of launches with this one and several more just on the horizon, as we continue to uphold the Gold Standard in space based position, navigation, and timing.”

GPS III SV02 is currently slated to launch in July this year. Once on-orbit it will join the operational constellation of 31 GPS satellites. GPS delivers the world’s gold standard in positioning, navigation, and timing services supporting vital U.S. and allied operations worldwide, underpinning critical financial, transportation, and agricultural infrastructure that billions of users have come to depend on daily.

Media representatives who would like to interview a subject matter expert or learn more about the GPS III SV02 launch should send an email to [email protected].

[Targeteer]

https://twitter.com/AFSpace/status/1108850865417453568

[jacqmans]

[jacqmans]

News Release Issued: Mar 26, 2019 (11:03am EDT)

Second Lockheed Martin-Built GPS III Satellite for the U.S. Air Force Arrives In Cape Canaveral For July Launch
Satellite Will Bring New Technology and Capabilities To Modernize the GPS Constellation

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida, March 26, 2019 – The U.S. Air Force’s second new GPS III satellite, bringing higher-power, more accurate and harder-to-jam signals to the GPS constellation, has arrived in Florida for launch.

On March 18, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) shipped the Air Force’s second GPS III space vehicle (GPS III SV02) to Cape Canaveral for an expected July launch. Designed and built at Lockheed Martin’s GPS III Processing Facility near Denver, the satellite traveled from Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, to the Cape on a massive Air Force C-17 aircraft. The Air Force nicknamed the GPS III SV02 “Magellan” after Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.

GPS III is the most powerful and resilient GPS satellite ever put on orbit. Developed with an entirely new design, for U.S. and allied forces, it will have three times greater accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities over the previous GPS II satellite design block, which makes up today’s GPS constellation.

GPS III also will be the first GPS satellite to broadcast the new L1C civil signal. Shared by other international global navigation satellite systems, like Galileo, the L1C signal will improve future connectivity worldwide for commercial and civilian users.

The Air Force began modernizing the GPS constellation with new technology and capabilities with the December 23, 2018 launch of its first GPS III satellite. GPS III SV01 is now receiving and responding to commands from Lockheed Martin’s Launch and Checkout Center at the company’s Denver facility.

“After orbit raising and antenna deployments, we switched on GPS III SV01’s powerful signal-generating navigation payload and on Jan. 8 began broadcasting signals,” Johnathon Caldwell, Lockheed Martin’s Vice President for Navigation Systems. “Our on orbit testing continues, but the navigation payload’s capabilities have exceeded expectations and the satellite is operating completely healthy.”

GPS III SV02 is the second of ten new GPS III satellites under contract and in full production at Lockheed Martin. GPS III SV03-08 are now in various stages of assembly and test. The Air Force declared the second GPS III “Available for Launch” in August and, in November, called GPS III SV02 up for its 2019 launch.

In September 2018, the Air Force selected Lockheed Martin for the GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) program, an estimated $7.2 billion opportunity to build up to 22 additional GPS IIIF satellites with additional capabilities. GPS IIIF builds off Lockheed Martin’s existing modular GPS III, which was designed to evolve with new technology and changing mission needs. On September 26, the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.4 billion contract for support to start up the program and to contract the 11th and 12th GPS III satellite.

Once declared operational, GPS III SV01 and SV02 are expected to take their place in today’s 31 satellite strong GPS constellation, which provides positioning, navigation and timing services to more than four billion civil, commercial and military users.

For additional GPS III information, photos and video visit: www.lockheedmartin.com/gps.