The Role of Heuristics in GPS Block IIF Modernization

Tracey Thomas, Timothy Bridges and Gregory Fairbanks

Abstract:	The NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based navigation system providing users with highly accurate three-dimensional position, velocity, and timing information. Created by the Department of Defense to enhance US military warfighting capability, it is available for use, free of charge, to anyone with a GPS receiver. Increased civil and commercial use of GPS, coupled with lessons learned from years of military operations and specific experiences during Desert Storm and the Kosovo campaign, drove a desire to modernize the system - augmenting its capabilities while sustaining the current GPS mission. In response to new civil demands and the emerging doctrines of Navigation Warfare, the US Air Force was charged with directing and procuring new improvements for GPS. Because of their heritage experience in the building of GPS satellites, Boeing was selected to support the Air Force in architecting the future of GPS. In this role, Boeing helped bound the problem and develop feasible top-level design concepts. As part of their systems engineering discipline, Boeing utilized reliable “rules of thumb” (heuristics) to aid the architecting process, thereby guiding the introduction of new capabilities and technologies and helping their customer bring "form to function." This paper examines the role heuristics played during the history of GPS Modernization. While a complete description of the rigorous systems engineering process (via requirements analysis, trade study, and design synthesis) is beyond the scope of this document, it does identify general guidelines that were applied, as well as a summary of design lessons learned during Modernization. In highlighting the rules of thumb used during the systems engineering process, it traces that history from early studies through proposal preparation to the initial implementation of three development programs – Block IIR Modernization, Block IIF, and Block III.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001) September 11 - 14, 2001 Salt Palace Convention Center Salt Lake City, UT
Pages:	2751 - 2763
Cite this article:	Thomas, Tracey, Bridges, Timothy, Fairbanks, Gregory, "The Role of Heuristics in GPS Block IIF Modernization," Proceedings of the 14th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 2001), Salt Lake City, UT, September 2001, pp. 2751-2763.
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