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GPS IIF-11 Launch Delayed until Saturday

October 30, 2015  - By
Major General David Thompson announces a 24-hour delay for the launch of the eleventh GPS-IIF satellite.

Major General David Thompson announces a 24-hour delay for the launch of the eleventh GPS-IIF satellite.

Major General David Thompson, Vice Commander, U.S. Air Force Space Command, announced this morning that the GPS IIF launch scheduled for today will be delayed for 24 hours due to a water deluge suppression system at the launch site. Launch should only be delayed for 24 hours.

The water deluge suppression system is a launch site safety issue. Officials made the call on Thursday evening to postpone the launch to correct a leak discovered in a ground support equipment valve for the launch pad water suppression system. The valve will require repair or replacement.

The 19-minute launch window on Saturday extends from 12:13 to 12:32 p.m. EDT (1613-1632 GMT).

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 will launch the GPS IIF-11 mission for the U.S. Air Force on Saturday, Oct. 31, from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

GPS IIF-11 is the second to last of the Block IIF satellites, incorporating improvements to provide greater accuracy, increased signals, and enhanced performance for users.

The GPS IIF satellites deliver second civil signal (L2C) for dual-frequency equipment, and a new third civil signal (L5) to support commercial aviation and safety-of-life applications. The next generation of GPS satellites is GPS III.

GPS IIF-11 will be the third GPS mission ULA launches in 2015. GPS IIF-9 launched on a Delta IV in March, and GPS IIF-10 launched in July. This mission will be ULA’s 11th in 2015 and 102nd since the company was founded in 2006.

To keep up to speed with updates to the launch countdown, dial the ULA launch hotline at 1-877-852-4321 or join the conversation at www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch; hashtags #GPSIIF11, #AtlasV.