Lockheed Martin and ITT are teaming to vie to build USAF’s next generation Global Positioning System Block III satellite, according to a Lockheed press release. As in their previous partnership on the GPS Block IIR and IIR-M series, Lockheed will be the prime contractor and spacecraft integrator, while ITT will provide the navigation payloads. Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile System Center expects to award the multi-billion contract next year.
A new White House policy calls for the Pentagon to craft plans for additional space launch facilities to support a projected increase in launch demand that could see the U.S. supporting as many as 1,000 launches by 2030, more than a fivefold increase from 2025.