Military's $8B GPS Upgrade Fails to Launch After 16 Years
Despite over a decade and billions in investment, the US military's new GPS control system still doesn't work. Explore the troubled history of this crucial software upgrade.
The GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System, or OCX, was designed to command and control the US military's constellation of over 30 GPS satellites. Developed by RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon) under a 2010 Pentagon contract, the program was supposed to be complete by 2016 at a cost of $3.7 billion. However, after 16 years and $8 billion spent, the system still doesn't work.
The OCX is critical for handling the new signals and jam-resistant capabilities of the latest generation of GPS satellites, the GPS III series, which began launching in 2018. The ground segment includes two master control stations and upgrades to ground monitoring stations worldwide. But this long-delayed and over-budget project has become one of the military's most troubled space programs.
Fonte: Ars Technica
