USAF Completes Factory Mission Readiness Test on Lockheed-Built GPS III Satellite, Raytheon’s OCX

The U.S. Air Force has wrapped up a factory mission readiness test on the first Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellite along with the launch-and-checkout system of a Raytheon-developed ground control platform.

Lockheed said Tuesday the GPS III SV01 satellite received and processed commands from the Next Generation Operational Control System’s LCS component during the FMRT demonstration completed on Nov. 2.

Mark Stewart, vice president for navigation systems at Lockheed, said those ground control commands are usually transmitted during launch, payload initialization, orbit maneuvers and deployments.

The FMRT completion came a month after the GPS III SV01 satellite received the “available for launch” status from the service branch and the test sought to validate that the spacecraft is ready to lift off in 2018.

GPS III SV01 is part of the Air Force’s next generation of GPS satellites designed to provide anti-jamming capabilities and broadcast the new L1C civil signal that aims to deliver greater connectivity to commercial and civilian users.

Lockheed also completed integration work on the third GPS III satellite in November.