What is really Up There?

The GPS Constellation: Now and Future

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/08/the-gps-constellation-now-and-future/index.php#orison_mc

Those of us in the industry regularly blather on about the 'system' as if it were common knowledge. I came across this referenced article and thought it might be interesting to the more technically minded individuals.

About the only technical flaw in the article is its assertion that there are only 29 satellites currently in orbit. Actually, every single satellite ever launched except one infamous launch failure many years back (described by an old colleague, H. beat Wakernagel as an IOBM (Into Ocean By Mistake)) is still in orbit. As older birds become inoperative they are boosted into a slightly high 'parking orbit' where they will be for at least several thousand more years.

In the world press that glories on the occasional 'big news' military debacle, such as thew infamous $600 C-5 toilet seats of years gone by, the Navstar/GPS is a sensationalists nightmare. A program that has virtually never missed a deadline, has never had a significant system failure and that not only has met and exceeded every military goal but now provides the backbone for ever-increasing civilian uses, there is little 'bad' to write.

That's why you will very seldom find an article like this in the mainstream press. No scandal, no villains, just a lot of dedicated folks operating hardware that meets specifications and continues to do its work, fay after day.

There's a little irony for me in the news about combining the various separate monitoring networks so that the Master Control Station folks at Schriever AFB can do an even better job operating the system. More than 15 years ago I was deeply involved in a program to do exactly that .. however all the various monitor circuits had been paid for by money from different sources, and there is no force more immovable in the US government infrastructure than commercial lease circuit specialists who transfer government money to commercial lease suppliers. After 15 years, hooray, I'm glad it didn't take 30 years.