TL;DR: Space Force begins Gen4 GPS ground work after $6.27 billion OCX cancellation

TL;DR: The U.S. Space Force is starting work on a new GPS Gen4 Ground control architecture after the Pentagon canceled the $6.27 billion OCX program earlier in 2026 following 15 years of development.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force is starting work on a new ground control architecture for its future GPS constellation, applying lessons from the $6.27 billion OCX program that the Pentagon canceled earlier this year after 15 years of development, according to SpaceNews.

The effort, described as the GPS Gen4 Ground project, puts the ground segment ahead of future satellite development after the costly OCX experience, according to the SpaceNews OCX archive summary.

The Global Positioning System is a constellation of orbiting satellites that provides position, navigation, and timing data to military and civilian users globally, according to SpaceNews.

Space Systems Command is seeking prototypes for the GPS Gen4 Ground project, a new command and control initiative designed to support the launch and operation of future Government GPS satellites, according to the GPS Gen4 Ground | Project 26-18 listing.

That listing was posted Sept. 4 as a forecast, and describes a Coming Soon Notice released on 04 September 2026, according to the same listing.

Why the Space Force is resetting GPS ground control

The Pentagon canceled the OCX program earlier this year after 15 years of development, according to SpaceNews.

The program cost $6.27 billion, according to SpaceNews.

The ground-control system for GPS satellites called Next Generation Operational Control System was billed as the best-value GPS control system for the future, according to the ProPublica investigation republished by Attention to the Unseen.

Expected costs for the GPS control system increased from $4.5 billion to over $7.5 billion, according to that investigation.

The GPS system was canceled after 16 years and $6.27 billion in program costs, including payments to defense contractor RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies, according to that same investigation.

The Pentagon officially ended the OCX program, citing risk and delays, in a development noted April 20, 2026 in the SpaceNews OCX archive, according to that archive listing.

The Pentagon had weighed termination of the Raytheon GPS ground control contract after years of delays, in a development noted March 30, 2026, according to the same archive.

The Pentagon awarded Raytheon $45 million for the GPS ground system as the program future was reassessed, in a development noted April 2, 2026, according to the same archive.

Lockheed Martin won a $105 million contract for a GPS ground control system as OCX wound down, in a development noted April 9, 2026, according to the same archive.

The Space Force had accepted delivery of a GPS control system after years of delays in a development noted July 19, 2025, according to the same archive.

Raytheon had secured a $380 million contract extension for the GPS ground control system in a development noted May 23, 2025, according to the same archive.

The Space Force had awarded Raytheon $196.7 million for additional work on the GPS ground control system in a development noted Nov. 29, 2024, according to the same archive.

What Gen4 Ground is supposed to do

Space Systems Command is preparing to release a prototype project for a new Global Positioning System ground command and control initiative intended to support the launch and operation of future Government GPS satellites, according to the GPS Gen4 Ground | Project 26-18 listing.

The Gen4 ground project is focused on designing, developing, and prototyping critical components, functions, software and hardware for a resilient GPS command and control segment architecture founded on a Modular Open Systems Approach, according to the same listing.

GPS Gen4 Ground will feature an automated, modernized, resilient, and highly modular ground architecture which will allow for GPS operation into the future, according to the same listing.

The project focuses on creating a resilient, automated, and highly modular ground architecture based on a Modular Open Systems Approach, according to the same listing.

This architecture will utilize an application framework involving cloud-based services or on-premises hardware to command, control, and monitor a next-generation Positioning, Navigation, and Timing constellation, according to the same listing.

The architecture will consist of an application framework, which may include on-premises hardware and/or cloud-based services, featuring common and mission unique software applications, and commercial solutions capable of commanding, controlling and monitoring a next-generation Government Positioning, Navigation, and Timing constellation, according to the same listing.

The Department of Defense agency for the opportunity is the Department of Defense, and the issuing organization identified is Space Systems Command, according to the same listing.

The North American Industry Classification System code listed is 541511 for Custom Computer Programming Services, according to the same listing.

How the new architecture differs from OCX

The new architecture is described as resilient, automated, and highly modular, according to the GPS Gen4 Ground | Project 26-18 listing.

It is founded on a Modular Open Systems Approach, identified by the acronym MOSA, according to the same listing.

It will use modern, modular, and resilient software practices to accelerate application delivery, deployment, and long-term maintenance, according to the same listing.

Modern software and application development is listed as a Key Area of Interest, with emphasis on utilizing modern, modular, and resilient software practices, according to the same listing.

Reduced operator workload through automation is identified as a key technical priority, according to the same listing.

Reduced Operator Workload is listed as a Key Area of Interest, involving leveraging automation, modernized operator interfaces, and smart workflows to minimize mission execution friction and operational footprint, according to the same listing.

The ability to manage both legacy and modernized satellites concurrently is identified as a key technical priority, according to the same listing.

Dual Control Segment Operations is listed as a Key Area of Interest, involving implementing concurrent command and control systems capable of managing both modernized future satellites and legacy GPS space vehicles, according to the same listing.

The legacy vehicles are identified by the abbreviation SVs, meaning space vehicles, according to the same listing.

The initiative also emphasizes Federal Aviation Administration design assurance, high-fidelity Kalman Filter implementation for precision tracking, and integration of real-time positioning, navigation, and timing situational awareness, according to the same listing.

Inside the six technical priorities

Federal Aviation Administration design assurance is listed as a Key Area of Interest, involving formulating design assurance and safety architecture necessary to meet strict Federal Aviation Administration integrity requirements, according to the GPS Gen4 Ground | Project 26-18 listing.

Robust Kalman Filter Implementation is listed as a Key Area of Interest, involving developing high-fidelity filtering capabilities to support precision tracking, orbit determination, and systemic integrity, according to the same listing.

Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Situational Awareness Integration is listed as a Key Area of Interest, involving incorporating robust, real-time Positioning, Navigation, and Timing situational awareness data into the unified ground architecture, according to the same listing.

Modern Software and Application Development is listed as a Key Area of Interest, involving utilizing modern, modular, and resilient software practices to accelerate application delivery, deployment, and long-term maintenance, according to the same listing.

Reduced Operator Workload is listed as a Key Area of Interest, involving leveraging automation, modernized operator interfaces, and smart workflows to minimize mission execution friction and operational footprint, according to the same listing.

Dual Control Segment Operations is listed as a Key Area of Interest, involving implementing concurrent command and control systems capable of managing both modernized future satellites and legacy GPS space vehicles, according to the same listing.

The application framework may include on-premises hardware and/or cloud-based services, according to the same listing.

The framework features common and mission unique software applications, and commercial solutions, according to the same listing.

Those applications and solutions are described as capable of commanding, controlling and monitoring a next-generation Government Positioning, Navigation, and Timing constellation, according to the same listing.

A new contracting and industry approach

The Department of Defense is exploring performance-incentivized contracting constructs, such as prize-based milestones, to drive innovation during the prototyping phase, according to the GPS Gen4 Ground | Project 26-18 listing.

Performance-Incentivized Contracting Constructs is listed as a Key Area of Interest, involving incorporating feedback on innovative acquisition strategies such as milestone- or prize-based milestones to incentivize successful capability demonstrations during the prototyping and development phase, according to the same listing.

Space Systems Command seeks modular, automated ground architecture prototypes for GPS Gen4 satellites, according to the same listing.

The General Info summary describes the effort as seeking modular, automated ground architecture prototypes for GPS Gen4 satellites, according to the same listing.

The opportunity is identified as GPS Gen4 Ground | Project 26-18, according to the same listing.

No documents were available in the documents section when the listing was captured, according to the same listing.

Place of performance was listed as not specified, according to the same listing.

What happens next for bidders

Project TALX is scheduled for 22 September at 11:00 AM PT, according to the GPS Gen4 Ground | Project 26-18 listing.

During that virtual event, the Government team will share additional details about the opportunity, according to the same listing.

That event will include a question-and-answer segment at the end, and attendees are described as prepared to come with questions, according to the same listing.

The event is described as an opportunity to hear about the project directly from the source on Tuesday, 22 September, according to the same listing.

Innovator NETWORX is scheduled for 23 September at 11:00 AM PT, according to the same listing.

During that virtual teaming event, organizations interested in the opportunity will have 3-5 minutes to present their capabilities to other interested organizations, according to the same listing.

The event is described as an opportunity to introduce participants and meet others who complement their offerings, according to the same listing.

Interested organizations can connect with potential partners by opting into a teaming list to share and receive contact information, according to the same listing.

That teaming resource is described as designed to help identify complementary capabilities and form effective partnerships, according to the same listing.

To view the full Coming Soon Notice, readers are directed to the Key Documents section on the right side of the page, according to the same listing.

Sources referenced