The first Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite developed by Lockheed Martin [LMT] finished a key milestone in December in preparation for a late 2016 launch.

GPS III space vehicle 1 (SV1) completed thermal vacuum testing in December, two months after beginning the process at Lockheed Martin’s Waterton, Colo., facility, according to the Air Force. Air Force spokesman Jim Spellman said Jan. 9 thermal vacuum testing is one of the last major events in the assembly and integration flow of the satellite.

A GPS III satellite sits inside a thermal vacuum chamber. Photo: Lockheed Martin.
A GPS III satellite sits inside a thermal vacuum chamber. Photo: Lockheed Martin.

GPS III SV1 will next enter electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC) testing, according to Lockheed Martin spokesman Chip Eschenfelder. EMI/EMC testing, at the system level, verifies signals generated by the satellite do not interfere with each other. EMI/EMC testing, Eschenfelder said, will take several months. The satellite will then begin final mechanical operations, to include solar array wing assembly installations, before customer delivery.

Lockheed Martin is under contract for the first eight GPS III satellites. Subcontractors include Harris [HRS], General Dynamics [GD], Infinity Systems Engineering, Honeywell [HON], Orbital ATK [OA] and others. Lockheed Martin and Harris were under fire over the last few years because of satellite delays due to crosstalk in the navigational payload supplied by Harris. The companies say the issue has been resolved (Defense Daily; Sept. 25, 2014).