5/28/2010 - US Air Force Launches Advanced GPS Satellite
CAPE KENNEDY- A new global positioning system (GPS) satellite, called GPS 2F-1, blasted off atop an unmanned Delta 4 rocket at 11 p.m. EDT (0300 Friday GMT) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The first of an advanced new fleet of navigation satellites for the U.S. Air Force soared into space late Thursday in a blazing night launch from a seaside pad in Florida.
Military and industry workers at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station readied the first-of-its-kind satellite for the Global Positioning System, an advanced bird that was shipped to the launch pad and bolted atop a Delta 4 rocket last week. The satellite was flown to Florida inside a C-17 airlifter on February 11 from Boeing's manufacturing facility in El Segundo, California. After arriving at the Skid Strip, it was taken to Area 59 were GPS spacecraft undergo their pre-flight preps.
GPS 2F-1 lifted off after a week of delays due to bad weather and technical issues. It is the first of a planned fleet of 12 new satellites to provide around-the-clock navigation ultra-precise navigation and timing services for military and civilian.
-United Launch Alliance image-
These next-generation satellites provide improved accuracy through advanced atomic clocks; a more jam-resistant military signal and a longer design life than earlier GPS satellites; and a new civil signal that benefits aviation safety and search-and-rescue efforts, according to Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager for Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, which built the new satellite.
The GPS satellite network currently in use today flies about 11,000 miles (17,702 km) above the Earth and beam continuous navigation signals to provide accurate longitude, latitude, altitude and time information for users on Earth. The network was originally developed for the U.S. military but has since found use for a wide range of commercial applications.
GPS is used by nearly a billion people worldwide for everything from farming and aviation to public safety, disaster relief and recreation, not to mention its military purpose of providing precision navigation and timing to combat forces says Air Force GPS Wing Commander Col. David Madden. GPS 2F will increase the signal power, precision and capacity of the system, and form the core of the GPS constellation for years to come.
The new GPS 2F-1 is a solar-powered satellite designed for a 12-year mission. It has twice the signal accuracy of previous navigation satellites and is equipped with a new signal capability for more robust by civilian and commercial aviation applications, Boeing officials said.
The satellite uses the U.S. military's "M-code" and variable power to increase its resistance against jamming during warfare.
Thursday night's Delta 4 launch also marked a milestone for the expendable Delta rocket family, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. The very first Delta rocket - a Thor-Delta booster - launched on May 13, 1960. Staff Report FMI: Boeing
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