Lockheed Martin is already working on improving its LM2100 satellite platform, which will be used in GPS 3F devices. Such a statement was made by the Senior Director of the Company's Strategic Military Missions of Eric Brown (Eric Brown) at the Virtual Symposium of the US Air Force (Air Force Association) on the aerospace aspects of military affairs. According to him, in the coming years, Logistics Earth - Cosmos will change significantly and from the paradigm "once launched remains in orbit as it is" need to slowly refuse.
As SPACENEWS portal writes, this thought supported the Moderator of the Discussion Brigadier General Steve Whitney (Steve Whitney), who led the GPS program in the appropriate center of the US Air Force. Whitney noted that technologies that allow maintenance operations with devices in orbit, actively develop and defense satellites should use them.
Details about which changes are made in the LM2100, little while it only hurts to a remote future. Still, the life cycle of Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites exceeds five years, and the first models of the 3F series (iiif) will be launched only about 2026. So when preparing the platform to orbital service you need to make it the most open. Either choose some one created now such technology and hope that it will "shoot" and will remain relevant in 5-10 years, when it is necessary.
It is known that Lockheed Martin engineers are working to ensure that other spacecraft can dock their platform. This will make changes both in the LM2100 and in its payload. Brown said he means replacing computing blocks (processors) and sensor arrays to extend the functional or recovery after a failure. What is interesting, he did not mention refueling: Usually, in matters of the "orbital service", they are discussed among the first. Perhaps the fact is that GPS satellites are practically no need to make corrective pulses, but the LM2100 is a universal platform and can be used for a plurality of different devices.
Refueling and service operations in orbit have become actively discussing in recent years. True, there is a "chicken and egg problem": satellites that can be serviced, no, since there are no those devices that will serve them. And on the contrary: "repairmen" or "tellers" is not, as it is some kind of repairing or refilling.
However, in the near future, the situation will change. Orbit Fab and Benchmark Space Systems last week signed an agreement on cooperation. The first is engaged in the development of "orbital gas stations", and the second creates engines and fuel systems that can be refused in orbit. The first practical experiment is scheduled for the end of the year, and for a pair of test devices has already booked a place under the fairing of one of the Falcon 9 missiles.
Source: Naked Science