Delta II rocket deploys 50th USAF GPS satellite

A Boeing Delta II rocket last month delivered to space the 50th satellite launched for the U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System.

The three-stage-configuration Delta II launch vehicle lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on March 21 and successfully deployed the satellite, known as GPS IIR-11, to a transfer orbit following a 68-minute flight.

The launch "is a significant milestone for the Boeing Delta team," said Will Trafton, vice president and general manager, Boeing Expendable Launch Systems. "Our team's commitment to mission assurance has played a critical role in the success of the GPS program and the services it provides to the U.S. military as well as civilian users around the world."

Boeing Delta II rockets have launched all of the Block II GPS satellites making up the current operating constellation. The successful deployment to space of GPS satellites aboard Delta II rockets has enabled the U.S. military to use GPS to assist aircraft, ships, land vehicles and ground personnel with handheld devices.

The next mission for the Delta team is the launch of Gravity Probe B for NASA aboard a Delta II scheduled for launch this month from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

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