Astro Aerospace to provide additional 48 JIB antennas for GPS III satellites
NewsApril 18, 2013
CARPINTERIA, CA. Astro Aerospace, a business unit of Northrop Grumman, has been awarded a follow-on contract by Lockheed Martin to provide an additional 48 self-deploying, monopole JIB antennas for the next-generation Global Positioning System (GPS III) satellite constellation.
JIB antennas have an adaptable design configuration that allows them to be modified to certain applications. They range in diameter from 0.5” to 1 3/8” and can be any length up to 25 feet. JIB antennas stow in a 4” x 4” x 2.5” canister.
The current GPS constellation is developed, maintained, and operated by the U.S. Air Force, with the first GPS III satellite scheduled to join the orbiting satellite group in 2015. Northrop Grumman has already supplied 16 JIB antennas for GPS III satellites.
"The antennas we supply are designed to help Lockheed Martin and the Air Force meet affordability and mission assurance goals for the next generation of GPS satellites," said John Alvarez, General Manager, Astro Aerospace. "GPS III will improve position, navigation, and timing services, and provide advanced anti-jam capabilities yielding superior system security, accuracy, and reliability."
GPS III will deliver signals three times more accurate than current GPS satellites to improve position, navigation, and timing services. Along with enhanced security and reliability, GPS III spacecraft will also incorporate a civil signal for interoperability with international global navigation satellites.
An industry team led by Lockheed Martin is developing GPS III satellites in Newtown, PA.
