GPS III SV-02 Launch

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jimh
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GPS III SV-02 Launch

Postby jimh » Sun Jul 07, 2019 11:34 am

The second space vehicle in the modernization of the Global Positioning System, GPS III SV-02, is scheduled for launching on Thursday, July 28, 2019. The GPS satellite will be carried into transition orbit by a United Launch Alliance (ULA) DELTA IV Medium 4.2 (i.e., 4-meter diameter upper stage and two solid boosters) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The launch window starts at 10:55 a.m. EDT and ends 11:21 a.m. EDT.

ULA is apparently retiring the DELTA IV Medium configuration rocket after this mission, as they note this will the final flight of this particular design.

The GPS III SV-2 satellite was built by Lockheed Martin, and was declared ready-for-launch last August (2018). The satellite's propulsion engine was fueled in late June, and on July 2 the satellite installation on the DELTA IV upper stage fairing was announced.

The U.S. Air Force Space Mission Command has a Twitter Feed at

https://twitter.com/AF_SMC

and are providing updates as the launch date approaches.

The initial GPS III satellite, SV-1, was launched on December 23, 2018 by a SpaceX rocket. GPS II SV-1 is still being checked out, and its status is "testing."

jimh
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Re: GPS III SV-02 Launch

Postby jimh » Wed Oct 16, 2019 9:27 am

The launch of GPS III SV-02 occurred about month later than initially planned, and on August 22, 2019, the second GPS Phase III satellite, named MAGELLAN, was successfully carried into orbit by a United Launch Alliance (ULA) DELTA IV Medium rocket from Space Launch Complex-37, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. This was the 29th and last flight for a DELTA IV Medium rocket. ULA plans to replace the DELTA IV Medium rocket with a new VULCAN rocket.

A replay of the live ULA broadcast of the launch can be found on youTube. See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AgiyxDoXtE&feature=youtu.be&t=20

The first of these new GPS III satellites, GPS III SV-01 ("VESPUCCI"), remains in pre-operational status but is expected to be on-line by the end of 2019. A third GPS III satellite is expected to be launched in January 2020.

jimh
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Re: GPS III SV-02 Launch

Postby jimh » Thu Oct 24, 2019 1:10 pm

In recent news Lockheed-Martin, the contractor building the GPS III satellites, reports on the status of GPS III-A satellites SV-03 through SV-09 as follows:

SV-03 has been in status "available for launch" since May 2019. A launch date in January 2020 is expected.

SV-04 has been declared "available for launch" and is in storage.

SV-05 is fully assembled and is finishing environmental testing; it will be available for launch in early 2020.

SV-06 is fully assembled and is in vacuum chamber testing.

SV-07/08/09 are on the production line.

When the GPS III-A phase of production ends, GPS III-F (for Follow-on) production will begin. The final design for GPS III-F satellites has not been completed. Several added features are planned for GPS III-F, including carrying 406-MHz MEOSAR transponders for the global search and rescue system. For more details see

GPS III SAR-SAT Payloads
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4066&p=23296#p23296

jimh
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Re: GPS III SV-02 Launch

Postby jimh » Tue Dec 24, 2019 9:49 am

In a recently published article, United States Air Force Colonel John Claxton, Chief, PNT Mission Integration, Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, indicates that the first GPS III-F (Follow-on) satellite is now expected to be launched in 2026. The GPS III-F satellites are anticipated to include a 406-MHz-to-L-band bent pipe transponder for the global MEOSTAR SARSAT program.

The full article discusses many other projected timelines related to GPS III deployment.