Air Force launches counterstrike over GPS claims
The US Air Force is trying to quell fears that the Global Positioning System used for satellite navigation might fail. It follows a Congressional warning that government targets for the long-term reliability network will likely be missed.
As we reported on Wednesday, the Government Accountability Office issued a report saying that underfunding and poor planning increased the risk that existing satellites would fail before replacements were in orbit. It said that if action wasn’t taken, the long-term chances of keeping 24 working satellites in orbit would drop as low as 80 percent, below the government’s commitment of 95 <!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} h4 {mso-style-next:Normal; margin-top:12.0pt; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:3.0pt; margin-left:.25in; text-indent:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; page-break-after:avoid; mso-outline-level:4; mso-list:l1 level4 lfo4; font-size:14.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”;} h5 {mso-style-next:Normal; margin-top:12.0pt; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:3.0pt; margin-left:.25in; text-indent:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; mso-outline-level:5; mso-list:l1 level5 lfo4; font-size:13.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; font-style:italic;} h6 {mso-style-next:Normal; margin-top:12.0pt; 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That’s significant because GPS devices need to be within sight of four satellites to work as designed. Logistically this means 24 are needed to make GPS available across the planet. Without sufficient satellites, the system could still work but devices could take longer to identify their location and could not narrow it down as closely.
Lt. Col. Tim Lewallen, a senior Air Force figure dealing with GPS, told the Associated Press that there is a risk of degradation but insisted the system has never been in better shape. He pointed out that there are currently 30 active satellites, with another three in orbit which could be reactivated relatively easily.
He also said there are back-up plans which would extend the life of working satellites if others failed more quickly than expected. This could include switching off some secondary functions on the satellites, including sensors which are designed to detect nuclear explosions on Earth.
The Air Force also argues that it has learned lessons from the delays of recent satellite launches and that this experience will actually allow it to build and launch the next generation of satellites as much as three years ahead of the current schedule. The GAO called this claim optimistic in its report.
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