Lockheed Martin Space has named its latest GPS III satellite after the famous Hollywood actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr. The 10th (SV10) satellite in the GPS III contract was given the name after reaching the production milestone known as the “core mate” when the space vehicle’s operations and mission payload electronics are joined to the vertical propulsion core assembly.

All previous nine satellites in the GPS III system have been named after famous explorers, astronauts or scientists. Hedy Lamarr was chosen because of her work on developing patented frequency-hopping technology that laid the foundation for secure Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth technologies used by billions of people worldwide today.

This new satellite also saw the introduction of the latest digital technologies in its production and assembly, including 3D printed parts and augmented reality.  

Tonya Ladwig, vice president of Lockheed Martin Space’s navigation systems mission area, said: “With SV10, we’ve now assembled about a third of the satellites we need to modernise the current GPS constellation with new technology and greater warfighting capabilities.

“For these two vehicles [SV9-SV10], we have really done a ‘crawl, walk, run’ for augmented reality. They are transformational vehicles because we’re bringing that new technology, not just to the spacecraft, but also making it part of the production and build process.”

The introduction of the digital transformation tools improved accuracy and cut production times.

Robert Peszek, GPS III operations manager commented: “Using the (HoloLens) we actually overlay design drawings onto the hardware, further ensuring that everything is done right. The team cut the production schedule by 50% for SV09 and SV10, partly due to the use of augmented reality tools – and while working through the height of the COVID pandemic without missing any work days.”

Throughout the core mate operation (traditionally considered the “birth” of a satellite) technicians were strategically placed in elevated lifts 20ft in the air to monitor the tight interfaces and ensure the successful integration. Once the system module was fully seated, the technicians installed nearly 200 screws bolting the two major components together. When the final screw was placed, the vehicle was finally mated and the newly assembled GPS III space vehicle was given its official name.

Lockheed Martin is building GPS III/IIIF satellites to help the US Space Force modernise the current GPS satellite constellation with new technology and advanced capabilities. GPS III satellites are said to be the most powerful GPS satellites ever designed. Compared to previous satellites in the constellation, GPS III satellites are three times more accurate and have up to eight times improved anti-jamming.

Lockheed Martin

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