Due to the technical difficulties and late hardware deliveries, the installation of the U.S. Air Force’s forthcoming generation global positioning system (GPS), utilized for both civilian and military purposes, was delayed.The difficulties faced in the installation of 12 GPS satellites will hold up the release of the first satellites in the $1.9 billion program until 16 months.
The Chicago Tribune reports,
the first launch was set for next January; the soonest it will now happen is May 2008.
The U.S. Air Force held responsible the delays on the difficulty of the satellites’ circuit design, the enormity of the assembly and incorporation endeavor, and not on time deliverance of a few components by Boeing subcontractors. It did not divulge how much the holdup are hoped to put in to the cost of the program... however approximately everyone have the same opinion, it will not be low-priced.
The fee structure of its contract with the Chicago-based aerospace manufacture is now being reviewed by the Air Force, and as far as its part is concerned, Boeing claims to take “aggressive steps” to settle on the difficulties... hinting at such issues “were not uncommon for sophisticated spacecraft development projects.”
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