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GPS Block 2F

Spacecraft · USA

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

GPS Block 2F
GPS Block 2F
Credit: USAF

American navigation satellite. Block IIF satellites were the fourth generation of the Navstar satellite, launched from 2010.05.28.

Improvements included an extended design life of 12 years, faster processors with more memory, and a new civil signal on a third frequency. The first Block IIF satellite was scheduled to launch in 2005.

In 1996 Boeing was selected for a contract with options for up to 33 Block IIF satellites. In 2001 the contract was revised to produce 12 modernized Block IIF satellites.

Electric System: 2.40 average kW.

More at: Navstar-2f.

Related

Country
USA
Agency
USAF
Bibliography
12514

Photo Gallery

  • USA 258
    USA 258
    Credit: Manufacturer Image

Chronology

12 events

2010 May 28

03:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC37B. Launch Pad: SLC37B. LV Family: Delta IV. Launch Vehicle: Delta 4M+(4,2).
  • USA 213 - . Payload: Navstar 65 / GPS SVN 62 / IIF-1 / Polaris. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Boeing. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 36585 . COSPAR: 2010-022A. Apogee: 20,225 km (12,567 mi). Perigee: 20,188 km (12,544 mi). Inclination: 55.00 deg. Period: 719.00 min.

    First Block IIF Global Positioning System satellite. Supported the L1M and L2M military GPS channels, the L2C civilian channel and a new L5 civilian channel. Also included a nuclear explosion detection system. The IIF system replaces earlier Block I, Block II, and IIA series built by Rockwell/Seal Beach (now part of Boeing) and Block IIR satellites built by Lockheed Martin/Valley Forge.

2011 July 16

06:41 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC37B. Launch Pad: SLC37B. LV Family: Delta IV. Launch Vehicle: Delta 4M+(4,2).
  • USA 232 - . Payload: Navstar 66 / GPS SVN 63 / IIF-2 / Sirius. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Boeing. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 37753 . COSPAR: 2011-036A. Apogee: 20,188 km (12,544 mi). Perigee: 20,177 km (12,537 mi). Inclination: 55.00 deg. Period: 718.00 min. Second Block IIF Global Positioning System satellite..

2012 October 4

00:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC37B. Launch Pad: SLC37B. LV Family: Delta IV. Launch Vehicle: Delta 4M+(4,2).
  • USA 239 - . Payload: Navstar 67 / GPS SVN 65 /IIF-3 / SV-1 Arcturus. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Boeing. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 38833 . COSPAR: 2012-053A. Apogee: 20,192 km (12,546 mi). Perigee: 20,174 km (12,535 mi). Inclination: 55.00 deg. Period: 718.00 min.

    Third GPS Block IIF satellite, spacecraft 65; replaced SVN 39 in the Navstar constellation. The upper stage and payload first entered a 163 km x 394 km x 41.6 deg parking orbit, followed by a 254 km x 20448 km x 43.3 deg transfer orbit and then a third burn into the final 20426 km x 20481 km x 55.0 deg circular orbit where the satellite was deployed. The RL-10 second stage engine operated at lower than planned thrust during the first two burns, but onboard software compensated by increasing the duration of the engine firings.

2013 May 15

21:38 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 242 - . Payload: Navstar 68 / GPS SVN 66 / IIF-4 / SV-5 Vega. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Boeing. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 39166 . COSPAR: 2013-023A. Apogee: 20,187 km (12,543 mi). Perigee: 20,178 km (12,538 mi). Inclination: 55.02 deg. Period: 717.97 min.

    Fourth GPS Block IIF satellite, 2.5m high satellite with a solar panel span of 18 m. The IIF navigation payloads carry atomic clocks and broadcast L-band navigation signals in the L1M, L2M, L2C and L5 channels; they also carry sensors to detect nuclear explosions as part of an early warning system.

2014 February 21

01:59 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17B. Launch Pad: SLC37B. LV Family: Delta IV. Launch Vehicle: Delta 4M+(4,2).
  • USA 248 - . Payload: Navstar 69 / GPS SVN 64 / IIF-5 / Canopus. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 39533 . COSPAR: 2014-008A. Apogee: 20,201 km (12,552 mi). Perigee: 20,163 km (12,528 mi). Inclination: 54.94 deg. Period: 717.99 min. Block IIF Global Positioning System satellite; GPS Space Vehicle Number 64, the fifth in the IIF series..

2014 May 17

00:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17B. Launch Pad: SLC37B. LV Family: Delta IV. Launch Vehicle: Delta 4M+(4,2).
  • USA 251 - . Payload: Navstar 70 / GPS SVN 67 / IIF-6 / Rigel. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 39741 . COSPAR: 2014-026A. Apogee: 20,187 km (12,543 mi). Perigee: 20,175 km (12,536 mi). Inclination: 55.06 deg. Period: 717.92 min.

2014 August 2

03:23 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 256 - . Payload: Navstar 71 / GPS SVN 68 / IIF-7 / Capella. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: ULAL. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 40105 . COSPAR: 2014-045A. Apogee: 20,479 km (12,725 mi). Perigee: 20,451 km (12,707 mi). Inclination: 55.00 deg. Period: 729.47 min. The navigation satellite, dubbed 'Capella', reached a 167 km x 20,260 km x 55 deg transfer orbit at 03:40 GMT. A second Centaur burn at 06:40 GMT circularized the orbit prior to release of the satellite..

2014 October 29

17:21 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: Cape Canaveral SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 258 - . Payload: Navstar 72 / GPS SVN 69 / IIF-8 / Spica. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 40294 . COSPAR: 2014-068A. Apogee: 20,195 km (12,548 mi). Perigee: 20,168 km (12,531 mi). Inclination: 54.96 deg. Period: 717.93 min. Nicknamed Spica, launched into a 167 x 20,281 km transfer orbit 17 minutes after launch; the Centaur restarted at 20:40 GMT to place the satellite in its final orbit..

2015 March 25

18:36 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC37B. Launch Pad: Cape Canaveral SLC37. LV Family: Delta IV. Launch Vehicle: Delta 4M+(4,2).
  • USA 260 - . Payload: Navstar 73 / GPS SVN 71 / IIF-9 / Deneb. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 40534 . COSPAR: 2015-013A. Apogee: 20,195 km (12,548 mi). Perigee: 20,169 km (12,532 mi). Inclination: 55.04 deg. Period: 717.97 min. Nicknamed Deneb; launched into a 12-hour-period orbit to join the navigation constellation..

2015 July 15

15:36 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 262 - . Payload: Navstar 74 / GPS SVN 72 / IIF-10 / Antares. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 40730 . COSPAR: 2015-033A. Apogee: 20,228 km (12,569 mi). Perigee: 20,135 km (12,511 mi). Inclination: 55.07 deg. Period: 717.95 min. Replenished the GPS constellation; 10th satellite in the GPS IIF series..

2015 October 31

16:13 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 265 - . Payload: Navstar 73 / GPS SVN 71 / IIF-11 / Altair. Mass: 1,630 kg (3,590 lb). Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 41019 . COSPAR: 2015-062A. Apogee: 20,491 km (12,732 mi). Perigee: 20,444 km (12,703 mi). Inclination: 54.98 deg. Period: 729.58 min. Addition to the GPS constellation, model IIF flight 11, was nicknamed 'Altair'..

2016 February 5

13:38 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: Cape Canaveral SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 401.
  • USA 266 - . Payload: Navstar 76 / GPS SVN 70. Nation: USA. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Navstar. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2F. USAF Sat Cat: 41328 . COSPAR: 2016-007A. Apogee: 20,442 km (12,702 mi). Perigee: 20,438 km (12,699 mi). Inclination: 55.00 deg.