Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3)

2023: Product Announcement

On January 26, 2023, the American military-industrial company L3Harris announced the start of the final tests of the Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) satellite. This device, according to its developers, will allow testing technologies for a new generation navigation system - the "future GPS."

The satellite NTS-3 created on a project funded by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The spacecraft will broadcast positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) signals from geostationary Earth orbit. The goal is to demonstrate to the US military technologies that can form the basis of a future satellite constellation for high-precision location of objects and other tasks.

The 1250 kg device was built by L3Harris as part of a $84 million contract concluded in 2018. The equipment includes a reprogrammable software-defined receiver, which will allow users to receive both outdated GPS signals and new NTS-3 signals. Specialists from AFRL and Mitre Corporation took part in the development of this receiver. The ground part was created by Parsons.

The device is undergoing a series of tests at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. He will then travel to Edwards AFB in California to conduct radio frequency tests. Once launched into orbit at the end of 2023, the NTS-3 will function independently of GPS satellites. Using signals of a new form will make jamming or other interference with the system difficult. If the experiment is successful, the US Air Force may consider purchasing additional satellites of a new type to strengthen the GPS constellation. The results of the project will also help improve the functionality of the current navigation system.^[1]

Notes