As a risk reduction effort for the U.S. Air Force's GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) satellite program, Frequency Electronics, Inc. (NASDAQ-FEIM) received a contract from Lockheed Martin Space, valued at $5.9 million, for the qualification of FEI's Digital Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (DRAFS).

The contract's intent is to qualify FEI's DRAFS for potential use on the new GPS IIIF satellites, securing the industrial base for high-accuracy Global Positioning System atomic clocks.

To help the Air Force modernize its GPS satellite constellation with new technology and capabilities, Lockheed Martin Space designed and built the most powerful GPS satellite, GPS III.

With 10 satellites under contract, in 2018, the Air Force selected Lockheed Martin to build up to 22 additional GPS IIIF satellites, adding new features and resiliency to the flexible satellite design. The Air Force began launching GPS III satellites in December 2018. Today, more than 4 billion users rely on GPS.

Stanton Sloane, FEI's CEO commented, "We are extremely pleased to be awarded this contract and the opportunity to play a significant role in the GPS IIIF program. This award is the culmination of 50+ years of research and development of advanced quartz and atomic clocks based on FEI's proprietary technologies.

"We are also pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with Lockheed Martin Space on critical national security programs."

Martin Bloch, FEI's Executive Chairman added, "I congratulate the FEI team on the development of this digital Rubidium clock for GPS IIIF program. FEI will continue the development of advanced clock technologies for future generations of Satellites and Terrestrial applications."

Related Links
Frequency Electronics, Inc
GPS Applications, Technology and Suppliers

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

One step closer to a clock that could replace GPS and Galileo
Sussex UK (SPX) Mar 13, 2019
Scientists in the Emergent Photonics Lab (EPic Lab) at the University of Sussex have made a breakthrough to a crucial element of an atomic clock - devices which could reduce our reliance on satellite mapping in the future - using cutting-edge laser beam technology. Their development greatly improves the efficiency of the lancet (which in a traditional clock is responsible for counting), by 80% - something which scientists around the world have been racing to achieve. Currently, the UK is reliant o ... read more