Astro Aerospace, a strategic business unit of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), has delivered 16 self-deploying, monopole JIB antennas for the first two nexgen Global Positioning System (GPS III) satellites being built by Lockheed Martin Corporation. This delivery continues Astro Aerospace's support to the GPS satellite constellation, having delivered more than 1,000 JIB assemblies for the previous GPS IIF and GPS IIR spacecraft configurations.
The U.S. Air Force develops, maintains and operates the Global Positioning System, a constellation of nominally 24 satellites maintained on-orbit to provide worldwide navigational information. GPS III satellites are currently under development by an industry team led by Lockheed Martin in Newtown, Pa. The first GPS III is scheduled to join the on-orbit constellation in 2014.
With an adaptable design configuration, JIBs can be tailored to specific applications; they are available in monopole diameters from one-half-inch to one and three-eight inches and any length up to 25 feet. Each antenna stows into a very compact four-inch by four-inch by two-and-a-half-inch canister.