CAPE CANAVERAL – The attempted launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket with the Air Force’s Global Positioning System, (GPS) IIF-01 satellite has been postponed a day until Friday May 21. During the regular processing for launch, mission managers discovered a piece of ground support equipment used to control one of the swing arms on the Fixed Umbilical Tower was not working and needed to be replaced.
Replacing the malfunctioning part will cause launch processing to slip a day. The Delta IV rocket and GPS IIF satellite are currently both safe and secure. The window will be open for some 18 minutes from 11:25 to 11:43 p.m. EDT. The Delta IV will lift off from Space Launch Complex, (SLC) 37.
The GPS IIF system will bring next-generation performance to the fleet of satellites currently in orbit. The GPS IIF vehicle is critical to U.S. national security as well as sustaining the GPS constellation. These satellites are available for global civil, commercial and defense applications. Besides sustaining the GPS constellation, IIF features include improved capabilities, increased mission performance and longevity. This mission will include several very important ‘firsts.’ This will be the first GPS satellite to ride a Delta IV into orbit and it is the first IIF to be launched.
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