The first GPS IIF satellite is in its designated orbital position and ready for its final phase of on-orbit checkout and testing, officials from the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Global Positioning Systems Wing at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., said last week.
The testing is to be completed before September, the Air Force said. At that point, the satellite will be cleared to serve users as part of the operational GPS constellation.
The Air Force this spring successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Delta IV-Medium rocket carrying the first GPS IIF satellite from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla. Following several minor technical delays, the May 27 launch occurred without incident.
It was the fourth launch of an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. United Launch Alliance is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Boeing [BA].
The next-generation GPS IIF satellites will provide improved accuracy through advanced atomic clocks, a longer design life than legacy GPS satellites and a new operational L5 civil signal for civil aviation and other safety-of-life applications.
The constellation will also continue to provide the modernized capabilities that began with the eight GPS IIR satellites, including a more robust military signal.