U.S. Air Force prepares to launch next GPS IIF satellite

The U.S. Air Force Space Command is preparing to launch the 11th Boeing-built Global Positioning System IIF satellite on Friday.

The satellite will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 vehicle from Cap Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Global Positioning System IIF-series satellite (GPS IIF) aims to provide improved navigational accuracy. Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, the Space and Missile Systems Center commander and Air Force program executive officer for space, says the satellite plays a key role in modernizing space-based capabilities for GPS users around the world.

“We have successfully placed into operation 10 in a series of 12 procured Boeing-built space vehicles, and thanks to the exceptional team of government, industry and launch personnel we are poised to launch the 11th GPS IIF satellite aboard an Atlas V 401 launch vehicle later this week,” Greaves said in a statement.

GPS IIF-11 will be the second to last satellite to launch in the series. The Air Force says the satellites currently in operation are meeting mission requirements, supporting both military and civilian needs. The improved navigational capacity comes from advanced atomic clocks in the system and a longer design life.

Friday’s launch window is scheduled to open at 12:17 p.m. ET, and will remain open for 19 minutes.