 |
| Global Positioning Systems Directorate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1973-present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch |  United States Space Force |
| Role | GPS service |
| Size | ~700 military & civilian |
| Part of |  Space and Missile Systems Center |
| Garrison/HQ | Los Angeles AFB, California |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel John C. Claxton |
The United States Space Force's Global Positioning Systems Directorate is a unit of the Space and Missile Systems Center located at Los Angeles AFB, California.
To develop, produce and maintain the fleet of Global Positioning System satellites, their associated ground control equipment, and end-user technologies. The day-to-day operations of the GPS network are handled by the 50th Space Wing.
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The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of aerospace warfighting technologies, planning and executing the Air Force science and technology program, and providing warfighting capabilities to United States air, space, and cyberspace forces. It controls the entire Air Force science and technology research budget which was $2.4 billion in 2006.
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Los Angeles Air Force Base (LAAFB) is a United States Space Force Base located in El Segundo, California. Los Angeles Air Force Base houses and supports the headquarters of the United States Space Force's Space Systems Command (SSC), which was established on Aug. 13, 2021. The center manages research, development and acquisition of military space systems. Space Base Delta 3 provides support functions for the base.
The 2nd Space Operations Squadron is a United States Space Force unit responsible for operating the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite constellation, which provides global navigation, time transfer, and nuclear detonation detection. It is a component of Space Operations Command's Space Delta 8 and headquartered at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado.
The Boeing X-51 Waverider is an unmanned research scramjet experimental aircraft for hypersonic flight at Mach 5 and an altitude of 70,000 feet (21,000 m). The aircraft was designated X-51 in 2005. It completed its first powered hypersonic flight on 26 May 2010. After two unsuccessful test flights, the X-51 completed a flight of over six minutes and reached speeds of over Mach 5 for 210 seconds on 1 May 2013 for the longest duration powered hypersonic flight.
GPS Block III consists of the first ten GPS III satellites, which will be used to keep the Navstar Global Positioning System operational. Lockheed Martin designed, developed and manufactured the GPS III Non-Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST) and all ten Block III satellites. The first satellite in the series was launched in December 2018. The tenth and final GPS Block III launch is projected in 2023.
The 21st Space Operations Squadron is a satellite control unit of the Space Delta 6 of the United States Space Force, located at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Prior to July 2020, it was part of the 50th Network Operations Group. It operated Onizuka Air Force Station from its formation in 1991 until the closure of the station in 2010.
The Space Superiority Systems Directorate at Los Angeles Air Force Base includes the "Space Situational Awareness Group" and the "Counterspace Group".
Space Base Delta 3 is a United States Space Force unit assigned to the Space Systems Command. The unit is stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. It is the successor to the 61st Air Base Group of the United States Air Force and the Los Angeles Garrison, which existed through the first two years of the Space Force. The garrison operates Los Angeles Air Force Base and supports Space Systems Command.
Colonel Francis "Duke" Xavier Kane, Ph.D., USAF, retired, was the space planner and engineer responsible for the design concept of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Colonel Kane was General Bernard A. Schriever's Chief for Space and Ballistic Missile Planning at the U.S. Air Force Systems Command from 1961 to 1970. Colonel Kane was a participant in Project Forecast (1963–1964). Project Forecast was the longest range technology forecast undertaken by the U.S. military prior to 1963. Project Forecast contemplated the strategic technological environment of 1975 and the requirements for U.S. advancements in air, space, missile and computer technology.
The United States Space Force's Launch Enterprise Directorate (LE) is a unit located at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo, California.
Donna D. Shipton is a lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who serves as the military deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. She previously served as the deputy director and commander of the Space Force Element to the National Reconnaissance Office.
John Ferdinand "JT" Thompson is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force who last served as the commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center from May 2017 to July 2021. He entered the United States Air Force in 1984 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy.
James Earl Smith is a United States Space Force brigadier general who has served as the Deputy United States Military Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since July 2021. He most recently served as the commander of the Peterson-Schriever Garrison, a new unit in the United States Space Force. He was previously the commander of the 50th Space Wing before it was inactivated and replaced by the Peterson-Schriever Garrison. He was also nominated for transfer to the U.S. Space Force and promotion to brigadier general.
The United States Space Force is organized by different units: the Space Staff, the field commands, and the space deltas.
Stephen G. Purdy Jr. is a United States Space Force major general who serves as commander of Space Launch Delta 45, program executive officer for assured access to space, director of the Eastern Range, and director of launch and range operations of the Space Systems Command.
Steven P. Whitney is a United States Space Force major general who has served as the military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration since August 24, 2021. He is responsible for research and development, test, production, product support, and modernization of Space Force programs worth more than $15 billion annually. His responsibilities include crafting program strategies and options for representing Department of the Air Force positions to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Congress and the White House.
Michael Anthony Guetlein is a United States Space Force lieutenant general who serves as the first commander of the Space Systems Command. He most recently served as the deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office.
Dennis O. Bythewood is a United States Space Force brigadier general who serves as the commander of Joint Task Force–Space Defense.
Timothy A. Sejba is a United States Space Force brigadier general who serves as the program executive officer for both the Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power (SDACP); and Battle Management, Command, Control, and Communications (BMC3) directorates. He has also served as acting director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office from 2018 to 2019.
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