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SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Air Force GPS III Request For Proposals

Not to long ago we all marveled at what GPS brought to the world of measurement from GEO stationary orbit. The ans more wants and desires occurred from the military to use if for the purpose of war other channels of it were created.

Not to long ago the DART (XSS-10) program was to rendezvous and dock with an in orbit satelite but an error occurred and it crashed into it due to noise in the band of signals being monitored for position.

Now we have
GPS III Request For Proposals Expected Soon, Air Force Says

But before we get to the GPS III units we must buy some more and this is the run down of what is there and what is needed before starting the work on the new system.

The 31-spacecraft GPS constellation now includes 18 Boeing-built Block II and IIA satellites and 13 Lockheed Martin Block IIR spacecraft. The Air Force will be buying a series of Block IIF satellites from Boeing before transitioning to GPS III, with the next order scheduled to be placed in December. The first GPS IIF launch is scheduled for 2007.

With an eye for the future we pay a little now for its developement to occur:

The launch of the first GPS III spacecraft is planned for 2013. The Air Force requested $87 million for GPS III in fiscal year 2006. The request is slated to rise sharply to $237 million in FY 2007 and continue to grow until it reaches $1.4 billion by FY 2011 (DAILY, Feb. 7).

Officials from the Department of Transportation met with Air Force officials on Oct. 27 to discuss the future of GPS. In line with the White House's most recent GPS policy, DOT is taking a more active role in planning and paying for enhancements to GPS civil services, as well as shaping the next-generation GPS III system

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Air Force GPS III Request For Proposals

An [url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9271610]Air Force microsatellite passes key first tests
XSS-11 successfully completes series of orbital rendezvous maneuvers[/url]

The exercises so far have been made around the derelict upper stage of the Minotaur rocket that launched XSS-11 (Experimental Small Satellite #11) five months ago. Program manager Vernon Baker said XSS-11 made its first approach in late July at a distance of 1.6 kilometers, and has since done "several others," coming as close as half a kilometer.

More approaches are planned in the coming months, he continued. “We have certain demonstration objectives for each one,” he explained, “using different sensors, different guidance algorithms, and so forth.”

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Air Force GPS III Request For Proposals

[url=http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=18152]Cutting edge microsatellite achieves milestones
Space Vehicles Directorate's Experimental Satellite System-11 performs several rendezvous and proximity operations with launch vehicle upper stage [/url]

To date, most other rendezvous experiments have been designed primarily for the purpose of docking and repair missions. They relied heavily on the other object having guidance and navigation aids, as well as docking mechanisms," Baker said. "XSS-11 does not rely on navigation aids from the other resident space objects or docking mechanisms."

The XSS-11 project represents a partnership between DOD and industry.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Air Force GPS III Request For Proposals

Rather than put this under the ISS shuttle thread of which Dart was mentioned I will start Dart discusions in this one since it relys on GPS to make it work.

In the house document:

The conferees agree that NASA should continue to work toward an affordable, universal and autonomous capability for rendezvous and docking in the vicinity of the Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Upon completion of the DART review board report, the conferees direct NASA, within 30 days of delivery of the board report, to report to the Committees on Appropriations with its future plans for autonomous, safe proximity operations and docking in space.

They are surely making Nasa standup to make projects work for the money that is being given out.