Boeing has successfully assisted the U.S. Air Force in deploying a new ground control system that will enhance the operation of 32 Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites currently in orbit.
The distributed server-based system, known as the Architecture Evolution Plan (AEP), is designed to improve operations, increase efficiency and accommodate future GPS capabilities as they become available.
"This transition marks a major GPS milestone," said Col. David Madden, U.S. Air Force. "The transition to AEP introduces a new era of GPS operational capabilities for our warfighters and civilian users around the globe. The U.S. Air Force worked with the GPS system’s partners to ensure the transition was seamless to the millions of civilian and military users who rely upon the highly accurate GPS service every day."
Boeing and the Air Force rehearsed the scheduled transition repeatedly to ensure continued signal integrity, position accuracy, uninterrupted service and user transparency.
"Given the global uses for the GPS satellites, ranging from civilian vehicle location systems and search and rescue to military uses such as land, sea and airborne navigation, it’s important that the system continues to operate efficiently and correctly," said Howard Chambers, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "As the prime contractor of the team, we worked closely with our Air Force customer and subcontractor Lockheed Martin to deliver an effective, next-generation control system for the GPS constellation. I thank and congratulate the transition team on this success, and we look forward to the future GPS benefits that the new ground system will support."
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world’s largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.4 billion business with 72,000 employees worldwide.
Source: Boeing