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May
28,
2010
Boeing
has
acquired
the
first
on-orbit
signals
from
the
Global
Positioning
System
(GPS)
IIF-1
satellite,
the
inaugural
spacecraft
in a
12-satellite
constellation
that
the
company
is
building
for
the
U.S.
Air
Force.
The
signals
indicate
that
the
spacecraft
bus
is
functioning
normally
and
ready
to
begin
orbital
maneuvers
and
operational
testing.
A
United
Launch
Alliance
Delta
IV
rocket
launched
the
GPS
IIF-1
satellite
at
11
p.m.
Eastern
time
on
May
27
from
Cape
Canaveral
Air
Force
Station.
At
2:33
a.m.,
the
satellite
separated
from
the
rocket's
upper
stage,
and
a
ground
station
on
Diego
Garcia
in
the
Indian
Ocean
received
the
first
signals
from
the
newest
member
of
the
Air
Force's
GPS
satellite
constellation.
The
Air
Force
19th
Space
Operations
Squadron
and
Boeing's
Mission
Operations
Support
Center
in
El
Segundo,
Calif.,
confirmed
that
the
satellite
is
healthy.
GPS
signals
from
the
spacecraft
payload
will
be
turned
on
for
test
purposes
in
the
coming
weeks.
GPS
is
the
U.S.
Department
of
Defense's
largest
satellite
constellation,
with
30
spacecraft
on
orbit.
The
GPS
IIF
satellites
will
provide
more
precise
and
powerful
signals,
a
longer
design
life,
and
many
other
benefits
to
nearly
1
billion
civilian
and
military
users
worldwide.
"The
inaugural
launch
of
the
GPS
IIF-1
is a
milestone
in
Boeing's
30
years
of
support
to
the
Air
Force
that
goes
back
to
the
first
days
of
this
program,"
said
Craig
Cooning,
vice
president
and
general
manager,
Boeing
Space
and
Intelligence
Systems.
"The
new
GPS
IIF
satellites
bring
key
improvements,
including
a
more
jam-resistant
military
signal,
a
new
civil
signal
to
enhance
commercial
aviation
and
search-and-rescue
operations,
and
significantly
improved
signal
accuracy
as
more
of
these
new
satellites
go
into
operation."
The
GPS
IIF-1
satellite
will
undergo
months
of
on-orbit
tests,
including
functional
testing
of
its
payloads
and
end-to-end
system
testing
to
verify
operability
with
older
GPS
satellites,
ground
receivers,
and
the
ground
control
system.
Boeing
has
production
of
the
next
11
GPS
IIF
satellites
well
under
way
as
it
implements
an
innovative
pulse-line
manufacturing
approach
that
will
help
deliver
the
satellite
fleet
on
schedule.
Adapted
from
Boeing
aircraft
and
helicopter
assembly
lines,
the
Boeing
GPS
IIF
pulse
line
efficiently
moves
satellites
under
development
from
one
work
area
to
the
next
in a
steady,
pulse-like
rhythm.
The
second
GPS
IIF
satellite
is
scheduled
for
launch
later
this
year.
Boeing's
legacy
with
GPS
includes
development
of
the
current
GPS
ground
control
infrastructure,
the
Operational
Control
Segment
(OCS),
which
has
supported
an
expanding
set
of
GPS
services
and
capabilities
since
2007.
Boeing
also
is a
member
of
the
Raytheon
team
that
recently
won
a
contract
to
build
the
next
version
of
the
ground
segment,
which
will
support
current
and
future
GPS
satellites.
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