Mary-Louise Hoffman
The U.S. Air Force has launched a 12th Global Positioning System IIF satellite built by Boeing, marking the completion of the current GPS military satellite constellation.
The final GPS IIF satellite took off Friday from Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral aboard United Launch Alliance‘s Atlas V rocket, the Air Force said Friday.
Boeing noted the satellite reached medium Earth orbit and began to send signals from space by 12:09 p.m. on the same day of its launch.
Dan Hart, vice president of Boeing’s government satellite systems business, said the company will continue its investment in new GPS technology following the completion of the GPS IIF program.
GPS IIF satellites are designed with atomic clock technology and built to support U.S. national security missions and deliver L5 navigation signals to the commercial aviation industry.
Boeing has delivered 50 satellites for the Air Force GPS program to date.
