NTS-3

Navigation Technology Satellite – 3 (NTS-3) will demonstrate the value of multilayer resiliency and on-orbit test critical technologies designed to defeat the threat that contested, degraded and denied PNT poses to our national security.

Threats To PNT

PNT technology supports everything from combat aircraft, warships and weapons systems, to individual soldiers on the ground – making it a prime target for adversaries.

As a result, U.S. and allied forces need a PNT system designed to stay ahead of and quickly address dangerous adversary attempts to disrupt, deny access to and/or spoof U.S. assets with misleading information.

U.S. soldier observing topographical data on a computer monitor. Image source: Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/license

About NTS-3

The NTS-3 Vanguard is the first U.S. integrated satellite positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) experiment in almost 50 years. It will provide an on-orbit demonstration of game-changing PNT technologies and techniques in the space, ground control and user equipment system segments.

U.S. soldier in the field using a communication device. Image source: Shutterstock https://www.shutterstock.com/license

L3Harris' Role

L3Harris is the prime contractor of NTS-3 responsible for the design, development, integration and test of the NTS-3 space vehicle. We are also responsible for supporting launch vehicle integration, integration with the control and user segments and on-orbit operations. In addition, L3Harris will deliver novel ground mission applications for the cloud-based, Enterprise Ground Services (EGS)-compatible ground control system. Together with Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)-developed reprogrammable, software-defined user equipment, this system demonstrates a multilayer, robust and resilient geosynchronous (GEO) augmentation to GPS to ensure U.S. freedom of operations in air, space and terrestrial domains.

L3Harris employee working on NTS-3. Image source: L3Harris Technologies, Inc. https://www.l3harris.com/

NTS-3 in action

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Related NTS-3 News

Press release | 08. 13. 2025

US Space Force Successfully Launches L3Harris-Built NTS-3 Satellite

The L3Harris-built advanced Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) has successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket.