Air Force to upgrade GPS operational control segment

The 2nd Space Operations Squadron is scheduled to release the next software upgrade for the GPS ground system in early December 2010.

This effort is part of a larger on-going effort by the Air Force to improve and maintain the current GPS Operational Control Segment before the next generation GPS Control Segment is deployed in 2015. The upgrade is expected to be completed in early January 2011.

“We’ve done a thorough test of this routine upgrade and it passed without any anomalies,” said Col. Harold Martin, chief, Positioning, Navigation and Timing Division, Air Force Space Command Directorate of Requirements. “The upgrade doesn’t change the navigation message and should be transparent to GPS users.”

These tests showed that the GPS navigation message produced by the new software is identical to the GPS navigation message produced by the current ground software.

While no anomalies are expected, civilians experiencing any anomalies should contact the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center at (703) 313-5900. Military end users who experience any anomalies should contact the 50th Space Wing’s GPS Operations Center at (719) 567-2541 or DSN 560-2541.