Officials from Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center have announced the delivery of the second in the series of 12 GPS IIF space vehicles to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
GPS IIF SV-2 will be launched aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket later this summer. ULA is a joint venture formed by Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Boeing [BA].
Built by Boeing, the first GPS IIF was set healthy to navigation and timing users worldwide Aug. 26, 2010. To date, the satellite is performing its navigation mission well, and its atomic clock’s performance is the best seen on-orbit, the Air Force said in a press statement.
The GPS IIF satellites provide enhanced military signals more resistant to jamming, greater accuracy through advanced atomic clock technology, a new third civil signal for safety-of-life applications and a longer design life of 12 years.
GPS technology provides applications for aviation, ground and maritime operations around the world.
The GPS constellation includes 31 operational satellites on-orbit. The addition of the first IIF SV and the on-track production of the GPS IIIA SVs demonstrate the Air Force’s commitment to maintaining GPS as the gold standard for positioning, navigation and timing information.
Air Force Space Command has maintained GPS since its conception in the 1970s.
“We are committed to maintaining our current level of service, as well as striving to improve service and capability through ongoing modernization efforts,” the Air Force said in a statement. “The Air Force will continue to pursue an achievable path maintaining GPS as the premier provider of positioning, navigation and timing for military and civilian users around the world.”