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First GPS III Satellite Scheduled to be Launched by SpaceX on Tuesday
GPS III SV01 is now encapsulated and will be placed on the SpaceX rocket for Dec. 18 launch. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The first GPS III satellite is scheduled to be launched next Tuesday. It will be more difficult to jam or spoof. In the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, the GPS signal is spoofed and the British frigate HMS Devonshire is sent off-course into Chinese-held waters in the South China Sea (see below). One knew that GPS had become established when it was used in a Bond plot.
This trick will be more difficult once a large number of GPS III satellites are launched (always keep inertial navigation systems as a backup for your warship). When my book was published in 2013, it was projected that the first III would be launched in 2015. The delays have resulted from problems with the new ground control system.
Integrating the new capabilities into the military receivers will be challenging. Perhaps it will all be done by the time DARPA develops a replacement for GPS.
https://youtu.be/fJWWa_AghwE
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Published in Science & Technology
As long as none of the chips, clips or dips are manufactured by Huawei, we should be less vulnerable to spoofing.
I have an unrelated story about GPS. A person who has been working on satellite navigation for 50 years told me he was in a meeting with the AF and NSA. The AF people were talking about how secure the GPS military signals are. The NSA people said, “We break these types of signals online.”
Was not aware of all this new stuff. Thx.
Almost done with your book. Thanks. As with any technology, from clubs to combustion, to the “new fire” of terrestrial nuclear power, GPS is amazing and ingenious and
can behas been weaponized. But what a benefit!Sure, there was that time when I was one of the many steered wrong. But that’s from the mapping troubles and algorithms (you documented several in your book).
I assume I’ll read more about this GPS III in the final chapter “Going Forward.”
The Army guys of TocRadio (who drop links here on the member feed) like @mattschoenfeldt should interview you. From what I’ve heard in their young ‘cast is (especially in logistics) they use GPS a lot.
2:00 into the intro, they mention an American encoder which is used to control GPS satellites. I got a tour two years ago of 2SOPS where they control GPS.
Two weeks ago, I spoke with the man who started the GPS III program. I asked about an important document which I’ve never been able to find. He has a copy which is currently inaccessible but should be available when his basement is done in a month. This should tell me if there is any validity to the GPS was invented at Lonely Halls story.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7093186/videoplayer/vi1679932185?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_1
My review of it:
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/3596/1
The arrogance of the Air Force is only exceeded by their lack of competence.
This trick will be more difficult once a large number of GPS III satellites are launched (always keep inertial navigation systems as a backup for your warship.)
Not a lot of inertial systems on ships smaller than carriers. My ships’ backup to GPS in the open ocean was me and a sextant.
Today’s launch was scrubbed due to problems with the first stage. SpaceX plans to try again tomorrow.
SpaceX successfully launched the GPS III satellite today.
Cool! Reading last chapter of your book. It’s all coming together.
Your book is wrapped and “under the tree” for Mr. C., the enginerd. Thanks for the update, Richard.
Thanks for buying the book. I hope that Mr. C. likes it.
Being an enginerd, he will. I’m in physics, but work with enginerds. I know enginerds.
What’s not to like? It’s an excellent book. I gave 3 copies to distant relatives thanks to Amazon. Distant in space, that is.