Modified batteries on the Air Force’s Global Positioning Systems IIR/IIR-M satellites are expected to extend the life of the fleet by more than 27 cumulative years, announced Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center officials on Jan. 22. The 19 satellites in the fleet comprise more than half of the GPS constellation, according to the release. The 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo., completed the modification, which began in October 2012, last November, according to the release. “Analysis by SMC, The Aerospace Corporation, and Lockheed Martin indicated that reducing the charge rates during solstice season would add an average of one-to-two years of life per space vehicle,” according to the release.
The Space Development Agency wants to wrap up its Tranche 1 launch campaign by the end of spring 2027, flying six more batches of satellites to build out its tracking and data transport constellations, according to Director Gurpartap Sandhoo.
