A Boeing Delta II will be used to launch the GPS IIR bird. This new-generation spacecraft is compatible with the current GPS system, but offers improved performance, increased navigation accuracy and longer autonomous satellite operation without ground control corrections and will improve service for the Air Force and other users.

Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space will supply 18 more of these satellites to the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., over the next five years.

"We are proud to be partners with the Air Force in carrying on the outstanding tradition of the GPS system," said Len Kwiatkowski, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space vice president, Military Satellite Communications programs. "The GPS IIR satellites are designed to provide significant improvements in the navigational services for users of the system around the globe."

To date, all 29 GPS satellites in orbit have been launched aboard Delta II rockets. Boeing currently has an additional 17 launches manifested for the global navigation system. "Boeing has a long, proud and historical partnership with the Air Force," said Will Hampton, Boeing director of U.S. Air Force Delta II programs.

"Today our company provides the Air Force with fighter and transport aircraft, munitions, ground support, training, satellites and launch vehicles. The upcoming launch is another example of our commitment to helping make the U.S. Air Force the world's preeminent air and space power," added Hampton.

Recognized as the world's leading satellite navigation system, GPS operates via a constellation of 24 satellites (not including spares), a ground control system, and thousands of terminals, to help locate and guide military and civilian users in the air, at sea, and on the ground.

The Delta II is a medium-capacity expendable launch vehicle derived from the Delta family of rockets that has logged 258 successful launches since 1960.

The Delta II rocket is manufactured in Huntington Beach, Calif., with final assembly in Pueblo, Colo. The rocket is powered by the RS-27A engine built by Boeing in Canoga Park, Calif. Launch coordination and operations for this mission are provided by the Delta launch team at Cape Canaveral Air Station.

MilSpace - SpaceDaily Special Report

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Related Links
Space

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

SPACEDAILY

Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005
The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India.