Space Force targeting more affordable GPS satellites

The Space Force wants its next fleet of GPS satellites to be smaller, cheaper and more resilient — and it’s looking to a mix of commercial and defense firms to help design those spacecraft. Four companies — Sierra Space, L3Harris, Astranis and Axient, which was recently acquired by Astrion — won study contracts in late September to draft early concepts for the Space Force’s Resilient GPS program, or R-GPS. In five to eight months, the service plans to choose at least two companies to finalize their designs and build prototypes. It will then pick one or more firms to build the first eight satellites, which it wants ready for launch by 2028. More

(Source: Defense News - Nov 16)