CARPINTERIA, Calif.,
March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/
-- Continuing its support for the U.S. Air Force's Global
Positioning System (GPS), Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC)
has delivered 32 self-deploying, monopole JIB antennas for the
third, fourth, fifth and sixth GPS III satellites.
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The company's Astro Aerospace strategic business unit delivered
the antennas to Lockheed Martin, which leads the industry team
developing GPS III satellites in Littleton, Colo. Once installed, eight JIB
antennas on each GPS III satellite will deploy to form an RF
antenna array.
This is the delivery of the first 32 antennas supporting the
third through sixth GPS III space vehicles out of 48 total antennas
on order for GPS III space vehicles three through eight.
Sixteen more JIB antennas will be delivered in early 2014,
according to Dan Johansen, Astro
Aerospace Program Manager.
"Astro Aerospace has delivered more than 1,000 JIB assemblies
altogether for GPS IIF, GPS IIR and GPS III spacecraft, all with a
100 percent on orbit success rate," said Johansen. "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."
The GPS III program will affordably replace aging GPS
satellites, while improving capability to meet the evolving demands
of military, commercial and civilian users. GPS III
satellites will deliver three times better accuracy; provide up to
eight times improved anti-jamming capabilities; and include
enhancements which extend spacecraft life 25 percent further than
the prior GPS block. The GPS III also will carry a new civil signal
designed to be interoperable with other international global
navigation satellite systems, enhancing civilian user
connectivity.
The JIB antenna is a stored energy monopole that deploys
typically in 200 milliseconds. The stowed package is one of the
smallest available and most compact for a deployable antenna of a
given size. The unit is adaptable and comes in diameters from 0.25"
up to 2" for impedance matching and in lengths from 12 inches to 25
feet.
Astro Aerospace, a pioneer of space deployable structure
technologies, has a perfect record of on-orbit deployments since it
was founded in 1958. Having delivered hardware for hundreds of
spaceflight missions, it operates under the Aerospace Products
group that offers a broad set of mature, proven and affordable
products and services. For additional information about Astro
Aerospace please visit
www.northropgrumman.com/AerospaceProducts
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing
innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems,
cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and
commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
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SOURCE Northrop Grumman Corporation