GPS IIF-10 Satellite Readied for July 15 Launch

United Launch Alliance crews on July 7 placed the next GPS satellite on top of an Atlas V rocket for blastoff later this month, reports SpaceFlight Now.

Liftoff for the GPS IIF-10 satellite will take place July 15, between 11:36 and 11:55 a.m. EDT, from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 at Cape Canaveral, Fla.

This is the second of three GPS constellation replenishment flights planned in 2015. The first launch, of GPS IIF-9 using a Delta IV rocket, occurred on March 25. A third launch, of GPS IIF-11 using an Atlas rocket, is scheduled for Sept. 22. The launch of GPS IIF-12 is scheduled for Jan. 26, 2016.

The Boeing-built GPS IIF-10 is one of the next-generation GPS satellites, incorporating various improvements to provide greater accuracy, increased signals, and enhanced performance for users.

GPS IIF-10 marks the 55th Atlas V launch since the vehicle’s inaugural launch in 2002 and the 27th flight of the 401 configuration. Every operational GPS mission has launched on a United Launch Alliance or heritage rocket. While the government has certified ULA competitor SpaceX for GPS III launches, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded June 29, two minutes after launch of an International Space Station resupply mission.

To keep up to speed with updates to the launch countdown, dial the ULA launch hotline at 1-877-852-4321 or visit ULA’s Facebook page, ULA’s Twitter and ULA’s Instagram.