GPS III Satellite Testbed Delivered to Final Assembly

Lockheed Martin has delivered the the GPS III Non-Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST), the program’s pathfinder spacecraft, to the its Denver-area facility. The pathfinder will now undergo final assembly, integration, and test activities.
The GNST is a full-sized, flight equivalent prototype of a GPS III satellite used to identify and solve development issues prior to integration and test of the first space vehicle. According to the company, the approach reduces risk, improves production predictability, increases mission assurance and lowers overall program costs. In Denver, the GNST will be mated with its core structure, navigation payload, and antenna elements before completing pathfinding act... »read more

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