L3Harris announced that the Navigation Technology Satellite Satellite-3 (NTS-3) was delivered to the US Air Force on January 26, and the spacecraft is currently undergoing final tests in preparation for its planned launch in late 2023.

NTS-3 is an experiment funded by the US Air Force Research Laboratory that will broadcast position, navigation and timing (PNT) signals from fixed Earth orbit. The aim is to demonstrate next generation PNT technologies to the US military and to create an alternative to GPS.

The satellite is currently undergoing a series of tests at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico and will soon travel to Air Force Base Benefield Anechoic Facility at Edwards Air Force Base in California for radio frequency testing. The AFRL said on January 26 that these will be the first RF tests of new PNT signals to be displayed by the NTS-3.

The 1,250-kilogram satellite was built by L3Harris under an $84 million contract awarded by AFRL in 2018. The Air Force plans to launch it as part of the USSF-106 mission, which is expected to be the first safety launch of United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket.

AFRL and MITER Corp. developed a reprogrammed, software-defined receiver that would allow users to receive both legacy GPS signals and newer NTS-3 signals. Parsons Corp. developing the ground system.

Once in orbit, the NTS-3 will operate independently of GPS. The AFRL said the new signaling technology and advanced waveforms will make it harder for attackers to jam or spoof signals. The Air Force called it the Vanguard program, giving it more visibility and attention.

L3Harris built the NTS-3 on a commercial Northrop Grumman ESPAStar bus. If the experiment is successful, the BBC may decide to transfer some of its NTS-3 payload and signal processing technology to GPS and consider acquiring additional satellites to increase the GPS constellation deployed in mid-Earth orbit. The Air Force estimates that about 20 NTS-3 satellites will be needed to provide global PNT coverage. Source