The fourth GPS 2F navigation satellite has been delivered to Cape Canaveral, Fla., according to a release from Boeing Defense Space and Security of El Segundo, Calif.
Launch is tentatively scheduled for May aboard an Atlas 5 rocket built and operated by United Launch Alliance of Denver.
The Boeing-built satellite left the company’s Satellite Development Center in El Segundo and arrived in Florida Feb. 26.
Boeing is under contract for 12 GPS 2F satellites, three of which have already launched, according to a press release from the company. The GPS 2F satellites are designed to last at least 12 years, according to the Air Force.
This version of the satellite provides more robust and jam-resistant signals than the earlier-generation GPS satellites. The newer satellites also have the operational L5 civil signal, which is used for commercial aviation as well as search and rescue operations.
