[SatNews] Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., (May 28, 2010) - A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket with the Air Force’s Global Positioning System GPS IIF SV-1 (GPS IIF SV-1) satellite blasts off from its Space Launch Complex-37 launch pad at 11 p.m. EDT Thursday night. GPS IIF SV-1 is the first in a series of next generation GPS satellites. Following its nearly three hour, 33 minute flight; it will join a worldwide timing and navigation system utilizing 24 satellites approximately 11,000 miles above the Earth’s surface.

Before this evening's launch the most recent delay was as a result of during the final seconds of the launch countdown, an anomalous data signature with the thrust vector control system on one of the two solid rocket motors mounted to the Delta IV booster was detected. The thrust vector control system is used to steer the SRMs during flight. The data signature triggered an automatic abort in the launch countdown.

SATELLITE – Galaxy 19
TRANSPONDER – G19C-08
BAND – C-band Analog
ORBITAL POSITION – 97 degrees
CARRIER – INTELSAT
BANDWIDTH – 36 MHz
DOWNLINK FREQ – 3860 MHz (Horizontal)


GPS IIF SV-1 is the first in a series of next generation GPS satellites. Following its nearly three hour, 33 minute flight, it will join a worldwide timing and navigation system utilizing 24 satellites approximately 11,000 miles above the Earth’s surface.

This is the Delta program’s 50th anniversary. The first Delta launch occurred in May 1960 and this will be the 349th launch in program history.