Wednesday, May 29, 2013

New GPS Satellite now in Space



"From a military standpoint, clearly it is hugely important that GPS is able to provide precision, day or night, all-weather guidance and timing to numerous platforms and weapons that we have. GPS is critical to how we fight wars on land, sea and air. Space systems truly are an embedded part of how the U.S. military operates these days," Col. Steve Steiner, chief of the GPS Space Systems Division at the Los Angeles Air Force Base said.

To improve services, a replacement GPS satellite has been launched into space carried by Atlas 5 rocket that would assist navigation for military and civil users as well. 

The GPS 2F-4 reached the outer, three hours and 24 minutes after it took off with the mission and task to offer upgraded means for U.S. Air Force navigation and users across the globe. The fourth successful launch of United Launch Alliance since it was founded. 

Trusting its technology, it would be expected to advance the tracking system of the users. Signals from the satellites will be then detected by the receiver to know their position, giving data of latitude, longitude and speed. 

According to Col. Steve Steiner, chief of the GPS Space Systems Division from Los Angeles Air Force base; “Age alone is not the determining factor because some satellites will lose redundancy, for instance, on a subsystem at a younger age than an older one. So really it is based on how well the individual subsystems in all are working with any given satellite.” Today, there are 30 active satellites counting 3 GPS 2F, 7 GPS 2R-M, 8 GPS 2A and 12 GPS 2R.  To cover the most populated place on Earth, the constellation that made up of 6 orbital groupings round the planet with the tilt of 55 degrees proclivity relative with the equator. 

12 more GPS satellites were been building and 8 more that will be deployed this year. Three of the craft is in fact finished and kept and the five remaining were constructed and expecting to be completed for the next months.

Remora GPS Tracker. Copyright (c) 2013. All rights reserved. 

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