NGPR for TSAT passes key test

REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Oct. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. firms Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have completed key tests on their Next Generation Procession Router.

"The Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman team was the first to successfully complete the last in a series of verification tests of its Next Generation Processor Router performed during the Risk Reduction and System Definition -- RR&SD -- phase of the Transformational Satellite Communications System -- TSAT-- Space Segment," Lockheed Martin said in a statement this week.

"The 'spiral tests' demonstrated additional NGPR functions and performance beyond those conducted in previous demonstrations. This final test in the risk reduction phase was completed ahead of schedule and met all test criteria with 100 percent success," the company said.

"The NGPR spiral test culminates a four-year, highly disciplined risk reduction plan, developed in partnership with the MILSATCOM Systems Wing at the U.S. Air Force Space & Missile Systems Center. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory -- MIT/LL -- independently conducted the verification tests to ensure proper performance, functionality and compatibility with user terminals," Lockheed Martin said.

"TSAT will provide war fighters with extremely high data rate connectivity to thousands of mobile terminals connected in an Internet Protocol -- IP -- network, thus enabling the information-intensive, network-centric warfare of the future. The NGPR is the heart of the system's network and protection capabilities," the company said.

"Completed in September, spiral tests verified uplink communication performance, information assurance features, interoperability with the Global Information Grid, and router ability to support the required number of terminals," it said.

"I am very pleased to see our team's experience in developing these types of satellite communications systems being applied to TSAT with such successful results," said Alexis Livanos, Northrop Grumman corporate vice president and president of the company's Space Technology sector. "The NGPR development is a critical part of the TSAT program. Successful completion of these tests ahead of schedule shows that our team and the NGPR design are ready to succeed in the next phase of TSAT."