40105 - GPS BIIF-7 (PRN 09)

GPS-2F (Global Positioning System) or Navstar-2F (Navigation System using Timing And Ranging) satellites are the fourth evolutionary stage of the second generation of the GPS satellites. Improvements included an extended design life of 12 years, faster processors with more memory, and a new civil signal on a third frequency.

The GPS-2F satellites do not need to carry an apogee kick motor, in contrast to the earlier generations, as the launch vehicles provide direct insertion into the GPS orbit. Originally the Delta-4M version was to be used for the Delta launches, but mass growth of the satellites required a switch to the more powerful Delta-4M+(4,2) version. For Atlas launches, the Atlas-5(401) version is used.

Alternate Names

USA 256

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 2014-08-02
Launch Vehicle: Atlas V
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, United States
Mass: 1630.0 kg