Boeing Hands Over Seventh GPS 2F Satellite to U.S. Air Force

As reported by SpaceNews: Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of El Segundo, California, has handed over the seventh in the GPS 2F series of positioning, navigation and timing satellites to the U.S. Air Force, according to an Oct. 13 press release from the company.

The satellite launched Aug. 1 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Florida. Initial activation and checkout took five days, the release said, and the Air Force took control of the satellite Aug. 8.

“Handover to the 50th Space Wing is a huge milestone in a GPS satellite’s journey, confirming that it’s been put through its paces and all looks good,” Dan Hart, vice president of government space systems at Boeing Network & Space Systems, said in a prepared statement.

The GPS 2F satellites provide better accuracy and resistance to jamming than the previous generation of GPS satellites, most of which are still in operation. The next satellite in the series, the GPS 2F-8, is expected to launch Oct. 29 from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas 5 rocket.