Navy Cmdr. Peter Sheehy, principal assistant program manager of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS), was named the recipient of the General Bernard Schriever Award recognizing excellence in space operations and acquisition.

Sheehy received the award during the National Space Club and Foundation's Goddard Memorial Dinner in Washington, D.C. March 11.

In his role as principal assistant program manager, Sheehy provides technical management, acquisition leadership and contract supervision of the $7.7 billion MUOS program.

"His critical contributions directly enabled the Program Executive Office for Space Systems and the Navy Communications Satellite Program Office to complete an unprecedented year of accomplishments," according to the award submission signed by Rear Adm. Christian Becker, Program Executive Officer Space Systems. "His ability to efficiently integrate multiple disciplines was instrumental in the Navy space team successfully launching two MUOS satellites into geosynchronous orbit in less than eight months -- a first for Navy communication satellites."

Sheehy led efforts to complete revisions to the ground system software, resolve ground configuration issues and complete the MUOS waveform, which is designed to enable users to send and receive data as they would with a smartphone.

"His team leadership was pivotal in synchronizing completion of the MUOS waveform with the readiness of the Army's AN/PRC-155C radio and resulted in an integrated and test-ready system-of-systems in advance of the Multi-service Operational Test and Evaluation Phase Two (MOT&E-2). These efforts realized a greater than 20 percent improvement in the quality and reliability of MUOS call performance and the rapid maturation and delivery of the systems needed for the MUOS MOT&E-2," Becker wrote.

For Sheehy, it was humbling to receive the award on behalf of the MUOS program team.

"Recognition like this was a great opportunity to reflect on the significant progress that was made last year, as well as my good fortune to be part of the MUOS team," Sheehy said. "MUOS is a revolutionary system in its infancy. As user paradigms evolve and the system continues to mature, the appreciation and application of MUOS' inherent capabilities will expand rapidly. Five years from now, we'll be wondering how we ever operated without it."

The MUOS program will replenish and replace the legacy Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Satellite Communications (SATCOM) constellation, including both legacy and advanced UHF payloads. MUOS adapts commercial third generation Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) cellular technology with geosynchronous satellites to provide a new and more capable UHF military SATCOM system. The MUOS program includes a satellite constellation of four operational satellites (plus one on-orbit spare), a ground control and network management system, and the new WCDMA waveform for user terminals. The infrastructure to both fly the satellites and control user access is managed from the ground. MUOS will provide greater than 10 times the communications bandwidth capacity compared with the current UHF constellation.

PEO Space Systems is an Echelon II acquisition organization chartered by the secretary of the Navy as the sole executive agent to develop, deploy, sustain, provide engineering support and influence space-based capabilities for naval, joint and allied operations.

The Navy Communications Satellite Program Office (PMW 146) is responsible for managing narrowband communication satellite systems acquisition, integration, production, launch, test and provides operational support to the Department of Defense, various U.S. agencies, joint and coalition forces.

For additional information on PEO Space Systems and PMW 146, visit http://www.public.navy.mil/spawar/PEOSpaceSystems/

For more news from Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, visit http://www.navy.mil/.