Lockheed Martin GPS Team Takes Home Award

Lockheed Martin is the winner of the 2008 Space Systems Award the Greater Philadelphia Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced. The firm received the award for the successful completion of the modernized GPS IIR production program.

Lockheed Martin designed and built 21 GPS IIR satellites for the Air Force and subsequently modernized eight of those spacecraft, to improve operations and navigation signal performance. Work on the last satellite, which features a demonstration payload that will transmit the new third civil signal known as L5, was completed in March. The satellite is at Cape Canaveral awaiting a date to be sent into space.

Last month Lockheed Martin was awarded a $1.46 billion contract to build the next-generation GPS satellites for the U.S. Designated as GPS III, the new system will improve position, navigation, and timing services for the defencse and civil users. The new generation satellites will also provide advanced anti-jam capabilities.