U.S.A.F. — Navigation Mainstay Arrives (Satellite)

[SatNews] The second in the series of 12 satellites has now arrived in Florida…

Officials from Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center have announced the delivery of the second in the series of twelve GPS IIF space vehicles to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., April 20. GPS IIF SV-2 will be launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket later this summer. 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 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 that supports both military and civil users, GPS has become the mainstay of transportation systems worldwide, providing navigation in countless applications for aviation, ground and maritime operations around the world. The GPS constellation is the strongest it’s ever been with 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.