Photo: Raytheon

The U.S. Air Force used Raytheon Company‘s GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System, known as GPS OCX, to support the launch of its second GPS III satellite into space. The ground system will now spend 10 days maneuvering the satellite into its final orbit.

GPS OCX, the ground control segment of America’s GPS system, achieved the highest level of cybersecurity protections of any Department of Defense (DoD) space system. Its open architecture design allows it to integrate protections as they become available, and the system’s  cyber protections will be used to support all future GPS III launches and GPS constellation operations upon operational acceptance. Earlier this year, the team completed final qualification testing of the system’s modernized monitor station receivers, which can receive and decrypt all GPS III military and civil signals. Global installation of the receivers starts next month and keeps the program on track for full system delivery by the program’s June 2021 contractual deadline.