Taking Turns at the Fiscal Cliff

The GPS program has taken a fiscal hit that will delay critical plans to begin multi-satellite launches and could ultimately hamper the Air Force’s ability to keep the constellation at its current level of service.

The shortfall is just one of the challenges facing the program over the next four months as the current six-month budget extension winds down, the government’s ability to borrow runs out, and, barring a fast political deal, the onerous budget cuts set up under sequestration kick in.

They’re Back: LightSquared Tries New Route to Wireless Broadband, Later for Nearby GPS Band

With the election finally over, and the chain of decision makers now largely clear, the spectrum war between LightSquared and the GPS community is heating up again with new fronts opening at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress.

The focus of the action are changes to rules governing spectrum and receivers that, if enacted, could enable LightSquared to move forward with its plans for a high-powered, terrestrial broadband network.

Hemisphere GPS Seeks to Spin Off OEM GNSS Business, Move HQ to Kansas

[Updated November 17, 2012] Hemisphere GPS, the latest incarnation of a home-grown Canadian company, has announced plans to close its Calgary, Alberta, headquarters and exit the OEM GNSS business, and is currently seeking a buyer for its Precision Products and R&D assets.

Precision GPS Landing System Receives DoD Recognition

A U.S. Navy program that uses technology developed by a Raytheon-led team to land aircraft in harsh weather has been recognized with a Department of Defense (DoD) engineering award.

The Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) Increment 1A ship system received the Systems Engineering Top 5 Programs Award for "successful implementation of systems engineering best practices resulting in program success," according to the DoD.