Built in Lockheed Martin’s former rocket assembly building, the GPS III Processing Facility (GPF) spans nearly 50,000 square feet of assembly and test areas for new GPS III satellites. The facility features an industry-leading production line that enables highly efficient manufacturing of GPS III satellites. The facility includes:
- A 32,900-square-foot, SCIF-level, Class 100,000 cleanroom high bay that serves as the “factory floor” and houses assembly stations, a solar array test fixture, and a space vehicle transfer fixture
- A 960-square-foot thermal vacuum chamber that simulates the conditions of space for testing purposes
- A 2,880-square-foot, two-story anechoic test chamber that allows for testing of antennas and telemetry equipment without sound or electromagnetic interference
The GPS III program replaced aging GPS satellites while improving capability to meet the evolving needs of military, commercial, and civilian users worldwide. GPS III satellites deliver enhanced accuracy and improved anti-jamming capability, extend the spacecraft’s design life, and add a new civil signal interoperable with international global navigation satellite systems.
As the project’s electrical engineer, RMH designed normal and backup power systems, lighting, grounding, fire alarm system detection and notification, lightning protection, access control, and public address systems for this critical facility.
Photo credit: Lockheed Martin Space Systems