GPS IIF-12 Launch Delayed

Jan. 28, 2016

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the 12th and final GPS IIF satellite has been pushed back to at least Feb. 4, according to a press release. It was originally scheduled to launch Feb. 3. The delay is to “evaluate concerns over the integrity of electrical connectors on the Atlas V booster,” states the release. The Air Force launched the 11th GPS IIF satellite from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., in late October, after a leak in ground support equipment shifted the launch window by one day. The Air Force took control of GPS-IIF 12 in late November. The GPS constellation, which includes about 40 satellites, provides global positioning, navigation, and timing for users around the world.

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