The U.S. Air Force awarded a $2.15 million contract to ITT Exelis to research the development of low-cost GPS capabilities to aid end-users located in signal-constrained environments.
Exelis said the 18-month initial study will identify affordable options for sustaining the Air Force GPS NAVSAT (Navigation Satellite) program. Researchers will achieve this by identifying methods of payload weight reduction, size and power of satellites.
“The development of smaller satellites — in terms of size, weight, power and cost — will yield greater affordability for our customers,” said Mark Pisani, vice president and general manager, of geospatial systems at ITT Exelis. “A smaller satellite size will allow for improved launch vehicle selection flexibility.” More
Follow @AvionicsMag