Air Force May 27 successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Delta IV-Medium rocket carrying the first Global Positioning System IIF satellite from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Following several minor technical delays, the launch marked a number of important firsts, Air Force officials said.
“Not only is it the first IIF to be launched, this is the first GPS satellite to ride on the Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle,” said Lt. Col. Lance Jones, 5th Space Launch Squadron director of operations. “The IIF system brings next-generation performance to the GPS constellation.”
Besides sustaining the GPS constellation, IIF features increased capability and improved mission performance and longevity.
The launch was the 10th flight of a Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It was the fourth launch of an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle and the seventh launch this year on the Eastern Range.
United Launch Alliance is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Boeing [BA].