GPS Block III
GPS Block III (previously Block IIIA) consists of the first ten GPS III satellites, which will be used to keep the Navstar Global Positioning System operational. Lockheed Martin designed, developed and manufactured the GPS III Non-Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST) and all ten Block III satellites. The first satellite in the series was launched in December 2018.
Artist's impression of a GPS Block III satellite in orbit | |||
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States | ||
| Operator | US Space Force | ||
| Applications | Navigation satellite | ||
| Specifications | |||
| Bus | Lockheed Martin A2100M | ||
| Launch mass | 3,880 kg (8,550 lb) | ||
| Dry mass | 2,269 kg (5,002 lb) | ||
| Power | 4480 watts (end of life) | ||
| Batteries | Nickel–hydrogen battery | ||
| Regime | Semi-synchronous Medium Earth orbit | ||
| Design life | 15 years (planned) | ||
| Production | |||
| Status | Production complete | ||
| On order | 0 | ||
| Built | 10 | ||
| Launched | 6 | ||
| Operational | 6 | ||
| Maiden launch | 23 December 2018 | ||
| Last launch | 18 January 2023 | ||
| Related spacecraft | |||
| Derived from | GPS Block IIF | ||
| |||
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.