[11-26-07 – Satellite Today]  The U.S. Air Force awarded contracts Nov. 21 to Northrop Grumman and Raytheon to continue work on their proposals for the ground control segment for the next generation of GPS satellites.

Under the 18-month contracts, the two companies will produce trade studies, define requirements and develop engineering models. The GPS ground control segment includes satellite command and control, mission planning, constellation management, monitoring stations and  ground antennas.

Northrop Grumman received a contract valued at $160 million, while Raython’s contract is worth $159.8 million. The program potentially could be valued at more than $1 billion.