[4/20/07] The U.S. Air Force has issued a $6 million contract for Lockheed Martin to develop and integrate a demonstration payload to temporarily transmit a third civil signal on a modernized Global Positioning System Block 2R (GPS 2R-M) satellite, Lockheed Martin announced April 19.

The contract directs Lockheed Martin and its navigation payload supplier, ITT, to provide an on-orbit demonstration capability for the new signal. Located on the L5 frequency, it will comply with international radio frequency spectrum requirements.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the prime contractor for the GPS 2R program. The company designed and built 21 different 2R spacecraft for the Global Positioning Systems Wing, Space and Missile Systems Center. The final eight spacecraft, designated Block 2R-M, were modernized to enhance operations and navigation signal performance for military and civilian GPS users around the globe. ITT supplied all 21 navigation payloads for both the 2R and 2R-M spacecraft.

The Block 2R-M spacecraft with the demonstration payload is planned for launch in 2008.