First GPS Block IIF Satellite Set Healthy

August 27, 2010 By: Richard B. Langley

GPS satellite SVN62 (PRN25) was set healthy today (27 August) at 04:10 UTC.

The satellite, the first of 12 Block IIFs, was launched on 28 May 2010 and went through a three-month evaluation and commissioning period.

Despite some concerns about anomalous fluctuations in the phase of the L5 carrier and in the signal from the currently active rubidium clock package that may affect some high accuracy users, the satellite's performance meets the acquisition specifications. These are the specifications set by the GPS Wing that the satellite's manufacturer, Boeing, must meet.

The satellite was handed over to the U.S. Air Force's Second Space Operations Squadron by Boeing and the GPS Wing on Wednesday.

The NANU announcing general satellite usability is appended below.

----- Forwarded message from TIS-PF-NISWS@uscg.mil -----
     Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:25:37 -0400
     From: TIS-PF-NISWS <TIS-PF-NISWS@uscg.mil>
  Subject: New NANU 2010113
       To: nanu@cgls.uscg.mil

NOTICE ADVISORY TO NAVSTAR USERS (NANU) 2010113
SUBJ: SVN62 (PRN25) USABLE JDAY 239/0410
1.     NANU TYPE: USABINIT
        NANU NUMBER: 2010113
        NANU DTG: 270416Z AUG 2010
        REFERENCE NANU: N/A
        REF NANU DTG: N/A
        SVN: 62
        PRN: 25
        START JDAY: 239
        START TIME ZULU: 0410
        START CALENDAR DATE: 27 AUG 2010
        STOP JDAY: N/A
        STOP TIME ZULU: N/A
        STOP CALENDAR DATE: N/A

2. CONDITION: GPS SATELLITE SVN62 (PRN25) WAS USABLE AS OF JDAY 239
     (27 AUG 2010) BEGINNING 0410 ZULU.

3. POC: CIVILIAN - NAVCEN AT 703-313-5900, HTTPS://WWW.NAVCEN.USCG.GOV
    MILITARY - GPS OPERATIONS CENTER at HTTP://GPS.AFSPC.AF.MIL/GPSOC,
DSN 560-2541,
     COMM 719-567-2541, gps_support@schriever.af.mil,
HTTPS://gps.afspc.af.mil
    MILITARY ALTERNATE - JOINT SPACE OPERATIONS CENTER, DSN 276-3514,
     COMM 805-606-3514, JSPOCCOMBATOPS@VANDENBERG.AF.MIL