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.
