Anna Forrester
Boeing has received signal confirmation that its eighth GPS IIF satellite in space has started to prepare for full operations after its launch from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The GPS IIF-8 satellite launched aboard United Launch Alliance‘s Atlas V rocket and is the last launch for the U.S. Air Force program this year, Boeing said Wednesday.
“The schedule this year has put the GPS team through its paces, with launches occurring approximately every three months to continue GPS modernization,” said Dan Hart, vice president of government space systems at Boeing’s network and space systems business.
The company said that it will launch the ninth GPS IIF satellite within the first quarter of 2015, with the rest under maintenance at the Boeing Satellite Development Center in California.
Boeing said the satellites feature anti-jamming and accuracy functions, as well as tools to support the civil L5 signal.
