A software and security update by Lockheed Martin will improve the U.S. Air Force's GPS ground station used to communicate with the GPS 2F satellites, pictured above.

“Satellite operations are essential to our national security and critical tasks will continue during the government shutdown,” an Air Force spokesman said.

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Mike Gruss is the chief content and strategy officer at SpaceNews. From 2013 to 2016 he was a senior reporter at SpaceNews covering military space. Previously, he was editor in chief of Sightline Media Group and worked as a reporter and columnist for...