On a cold (by Florida standards) morning at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Space Launch Complex 41, the U.S. Air Force’s newest Global Positioning System satellite – GPS IIF-12 – blasted off into space under the power of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle.
GPS IIF-12 is the 50th Boeing-built GPS satellite to be launched into orbit and its journey is just beginning. Once a GPS satellite arrives at the proper position more than 12,500 miles above Earth, a complex set of processes and procedures is set in motion. The solar panels that will power the satellite are carefully unfurled and begin to tap energy from the sun. Onboard systems power up and the satellite sends its first signals to Earth.
Since it arrived on orbit, engineers have been working with data and analyzing the satellite’s systems. After rigorous testing, the GPS IIF-12 was handed over to the U.S. Air Force this month to join the GPS constellation of satellites that circle the earth to provide position, navigation and timing information for military and civilian uses by millions worldwide.
This newest satellite replaces SVN-23, the longest serving GPS satellite in the constellation. The satellite was designed to last for 7.5 years but SVN-23 served three times its design lifespan by remaining operational for 25 years before it was retired. This latest GPS IIF satellite has a 12-year design life and like the 49 GPS satellites that were launched into orbit before it, this one is expected to exceed the expected number of operational years providing long-term service and further reducing operating costs.
Boeing continues to invest in advanced GPS technologies, such as the fully digital navigation payload, with an eye on new capabilities for the next generation of GPS satellites.