...the first significant integration milestone between Raytheon's Global Positioning System (GPS) Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) and Lockheed Martin's GPS III satellite system. The joint Lockheed Martin/Raytheon team successfully exchanged satellite commands and telemetry data between the GPS III satellite simulator in Newtown, Pa., and the OCX development site in Aurora, Colo. The integration of the two sites will facilitate development testing of the OCX system and allow early risk reduction testing of the ground-satellite interface in a test-like-you-fly configuration.
In 2000, the U.S. Congress authorized a GPS enterprise modernization project, commonly known as GPS III, to maintain and upgrade existing GPS capabilities. The project involves new, more capable satellites and a flexible, secure control system that together will provide new civil and military navigation signals for both civilian and military users, and will improve accuracy, availability and resistance to jamming.