Boeing Delta II Boosts GPS System with Successful Satellite Deployment
A Boeing Delta II rocket successfully deployed a Global Positioning System, or GPS, satellite today for the U.S. Air Force.
GPS IIR-9 was launched aboard a Delta II launch vehicle from Space Launch Complex 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
The rocket lifted off at 5:09 p.m. EST and the 68-minute mission ended with the successful delivery of the spacecraft to the targeted orbit.
"Today's launch was the culmination of a dedicated effort for mission success by our government and industry team," said Jay Witzling, vice president, Delta Programs. "We recognize the importance of this mission to our customer and the nation."
GPS provides military and civilian users with three-dimensional position location data in longitude, latitude and elevation as well as precise time and velocity. The GPS system is operated by the U.S. Air Force Space Command.
The next scheduled Delta launch is the Space Infrared Telescope Facility, or SIRTF, mission for NASA in mid-April from Cape Canaveral aboard the first launch of the Delta II Heavy configuration.
Boeing Launch Services Inc., headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., is responsible for the marketing and sales of the Sea Launch and Delta family of launch vehicles to Boeing national security, civil space and commercial customers.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $25 billion business. It provides systems solutions to its global military, government, and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the world,s largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services.
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